Last week, the culture.ee team decided to try something new: to start putting together cultural event recommendations at our blog in the beginning of every week. We started out only in Estonian, but now try to do the same in English. So here are our recommended cultural events in Estonia in the first week of February. Enjoy!

What: Film “Lincoln” directed by Steven Spielberg
When: February 1
Where: Narva Central Library

The film is screened as part of the U.S. Embassy film series “Telling the American Story”. “Lincoln” is a 2012 American epic historical drama directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Daniel Day-Lewis as the United States President Abraham Lincoln and Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln. The movie screens in English with Russian subtitles. The screening is free of charge.

What: Movie “Polisse”
When: February 2
Where: SuperNova Cinema at TU Baltic Film and Media School (Tallinn)

The daily grind for the cops of the Police Department’s Juvenile Protection Unit – taking in child molesters, busting underage pickpockets, interrogating abusive parents and chewing over relationship issues at lunch. How do these cops balance their private lives and the reality they confront every working day? The movie screens with English subtitles, free entry!

What: Planets. Estonian National Symphony Orchestra
When: February 5
Where: Nordea Concert Hall (Tallinn)

The concert by Estonian National Symphony Orchestra consists of two parts: the first part will be dedicated to one of the masters of British music, Benjamin Britten. His famous “Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra” will be followed by “Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten” by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt. During the second part, “The Planets – an HD Odyssey” (a film by Duncan Copp & NASA) will be shown with Gustav Holst’s magnum opus “The Planets”, providing the audience with a spectacular performance based on the latest discoveries in space.

What: exhibition “Oh How Dangerous!”
When: Opening on 5 February
Where: Tartu Toy Museum

Exhibition „Oh How Dangerous!” will open at the Tartu Toy Museum. In many countries, laws or standards regulating the safety of toys are not in place to this day. In Estonia and other European Union countries, the regulations are quite strict, but many manufacturers do not observe them anyway and hundreds of dangerous toys are discovered every year. The exhibition is looking for answers to some of these issues.

What: Two legends: Dingo and Vennaskond
When: February 5
Where: Rock Cafe (Tallinn)

Two legendary bands, Dingo and Vennaskond, will collaborate and organise a proper Estonian-Finnish joint concert. Finnish cult band Dingo’s legendary songs created a so-called dingo-mania on the northern shores of the Gulf of Finland in the mid-80s. At around the same time Vennaskond came together in Soviet Estonia. Making romantic punk, the band had to perform on much smaller stages.

What: Trad.Attack! concert
When: February 6
Where: The Widget Factory – Aparaaditehas (Tartu)

Trad.Attack!, the group busy fixing Estonian folk music on the world map, gives a concert in Tartu on February 6. The group recently took home three awards from the Estonian Music Awards (including the best album and the band of the year) ceremony. Last year, they gave 70 concerts in 16 different countries. They are also famous for their live performances. Check out Karina Rozena’s review of their new album release party on culture.ee blog:  https://kultuur.info/blogi/en/2015/10/08/karina-rozena-trad-attack/

What: Punky Reggae Party
When: February 6
Where: Culture Club Kelm (Tallinn)

Soundsystem’s parties are not your regular Friday night haunts, it’s a culture that contains music lovers, vinyl records, live music, something to please both ears and eyes. This time, the “Punky Reggae Party” includes punk, reggae, dub as well as ska.

What: Maria Korepanova’s PhD concert „The River of Time”
When: February 6
Where: Estonian Theatre and Music Academy (Tallinn)

From time to time, interesting free concerts take place at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. This Saturday, it is possible to enjoy Maria Korepanova’s PhD concert „The River of Time” in the chamber hall. Vlady Bystrov (Germany; electronics, wind instruments), the master of free improvisation, also takes part in the experimental project.

What: The pre-concert of SOUNDandLANGUAGE Saariaho Festival
When: February 7
Where: Tartu H. Eller Music School, Tubin auditorium (Tartu)

The pre-concert of SOUNDandLANGUAGE Saariaho Festival will feature the music of Finland’s most renowned contemporary composer Kaija Saariaho (residing in Paris) in addition to the works by Estonian composers Arvo Pärt, Jüri Reinvere and Helena Tulve. These will be performed by Leho Karin (cello), Leonora Palu (flute), Diana Liiv (piano), and Sigrid Mutso (soprano).

* Photo: Trad.Attack! Photographer: Renee Altrov.