Johannes, an eccentric boy growing up in 1980s Estonia, lives with his grandparents while his free-spirited mother chases a new life in the West.

In the final chaotic years of the Soviet Union, Johannes, a boy growing up in an eccentric Ingrian-Finnish family, lives with his grandparents while his free-spirited mother pursues a new life in the West. After an ill-fated swim in forbidden waters forces the family to move, Johannes finds himself caught between cultures, struggling to fit in among his Estonian and Russian classmates. When he falls deeply in love with Vera, a girl at his new school, he begins taking risks, getting into fights, and testing the limits of the adults around him. Meanwhile, his mother's trips to Finland bring tantalizing glimpses of Western life just as Estonia begins its push for independence. Navigating first love, family upheaval, and the bewildering trials of growing up, Johannes watches the world he has always known fall apart around him while searching for where he belongs. Described by director Lauri Randla as the 'Soviet Amélie,' this wildly funny, deeply personal debut feature is a coming-of-age story about finding your identity just as your country loses its own.

Media

 

Cast & Crew

Actors:

•       Niklas Kouzmitchev as Johannes
•       Nika Savolainen as Johannes' mother
•       Ulle Kaljuste as Grandmother

Director: Lauri Randla

Producer: Peeter Urbla

Producer: Mark Lwoff

Producer: Misha Jaari

Additional Details

Label: IndiePix Films

Genre: Comedy

Language: Estonian

Run Time: 91 mins

Region: 0

Release Date: 01/12/27

UPC: 845637065059