The Singing Revolution (2006): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2006, The Singing Revolution is a music, history and documentary film directed by Maureen Castle Tusty, running about 94 minutes. “A single nation. A million voices. An unstoppable dream.” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Most people don't think about singing when they think about revolutions. But song was the weapon of choice when, between 1986 and 1991, Estonians sought to free themselves from decades of Soviet occupation. During those years, hundreds of thousands gathered in public to sing forbidden patriotic songs and to rally for independence. "The young people, without any political party, and without any politicians, just came together ... not only tens of thousands but hundreds of thousands ... to gather and to sing and to give this nation a new spirit," remarks Mart Laar, a Singing Revolution leader featured in the film and the first post-Soviet Prime Minister of Estonia. "This was the idea of the Singing Revolution." James Tusty and Maureen Castle Tusty's "The Singing Revolution" tells the moving story of how the Estonian people peacefully regained their freedom--and helped topple an empire along the way.

Who’s in it. The Singing Revolution stars Linda Hunt as Self - Narrator, Mart Laar as Self, Ivo Linna as Self and Lennart Meri as Self (archive footage).

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.4/10, The Singing Revolution has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Kanopy and rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Singing Revolution page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Singing Revolution tend to enjoy Whiplash, Coco, Green Book and The Legend of 1900.