To Breathe as One

Singing, politics and world change. Not your typical combination, but in Estonia choral singing has taken on identity far greater than cultural expression. It has evolved into a core cultural identity that has been used to shape history for the past century, and longer. To the Estonians, this is a unique phenomenon is as natural as an appreciation of wine is to the French. Laulupidu is the acclaimed, one-of-kind Estonian song festival where 30,000 singers grab the stage and sing several days to an audience of hundred thousand in a country about a million! The festival, founded in 1869, is world-renowned among choir singers. Besides that, Laulupidu is about much more than a song. The festival has had political implications for centuries. James and Maureen Tusty, primary filmmakers, and Piret Tibbo-Hudgins, Estonian producer of the nationally lauded and award-winning documentary feature The Singing Revolution, are producing a one hour documentary on the music and history of Laulupidu. This film will cover 1869 – 2009 with a backdrop of world events behind the story. (Allfilm)