Goodbye Soviet Union

2020 film

Goodbye Soviet Union

Directed by| Lauri Randla
Written by| Lauri Randla
Produced by|

* Peeter Urbla
* Mark Lwoff
* Misha Jaari

Starring|

* Niklas Kouzmitšev
* Nika Savolainen
* Ülle Kaljuste
* Tõnu Oja
* Pääru Oja
* Elene Baratašvili
* Jekaterina Novosjolova

Cinematography| Elen Lotman
Edited by|

* Leo Liesvirta
* Andres Hallik

Production
companies

* Exitfilm
* Bufo

Release date

* July 10, 2020 (2020-07-10)

Running time

| 86 minutes
Countries|

* Estonia
* Finland

Languages|

* Finnish
* Estonian
* Russian

Goodbye Soviet Union (Estonian: Hüvasti, NSVL, Finnish: Näkemiin Neuvostoliitto) is a 2020 Estonian-Finnish tragicomedy film and the first Ingrian film. It was written and directed by Lauri Randla.[1]

## Plot

[edit]

Set during the final years of the Soviet Union, the film follows Johannes (Niklas Kouzmitšev), a young boy growing up in an Ingrian family in Soviet Estonia. Johannes's free-spirited mother (Nika Savolainen) is drawn to Western ideals, while his grandmother (Ülle Kaljuste) hopes to raise him as a loyal Soviet citizen. Amid the backdrop of Estonia's push for independence, Johannes navigates family tensions, his mother's emigration to Finland, and his first love with a Chechen girl named Vera (Elene Baratašvili).

## Cast

[edit]

* Niklas Kouzmitšev - Johannes
* Nika Savolainen - Mother
* Ülle Kaljuste \- Grandmother
* Tõnu Oja \- Grandfather
* Pääru Oja \- Uncle Kolja
* Elene Baratašvili - Vera
* Jekaterina Novosjolova - Lidia
* Luule Komissarov

## Production

[edit]

The film was financed by Estonian Film Institute, Finnish Film Foundation, Eurimages, and Eesti Kultuurkapital, and was co-produced with Yle. Distribution in Finland was handled by B-Plan Distribution. Both Estonian Film Institute and the Finnish Film Foundation expressed strong early interest in the project.[2] Notably, it became the largest single investment by Estonian Film Institute.[2]

## Reception

[edit]

The film was initially slated for release in March 2020, but its premiere was delayed. Pre-screenings in June were met with high demand, selling out in parts of the Helsinki metropolitan area.[3]

### Reviews

[edit]

The film received generally positive reviews, with praise for its humor and unique perspective on Soviet life.

Rating (out of 5) | Reference

Karjalainen | 4/5 | [4]
Me Naiset | 4/5 | [5]
Helsingin Sanomat | 2/5 | [6]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "The first Ingrian-Finnish film tackles Soviet life with humor | Audio Areena" (in Finnish). Yle. 2020-10-14. Retrieved 2020-10-14.
2. ^ a b "Goodbye Soviet Union blends nostalgia with humor" (in Finnish). Yle Uutiset. 2020-10-14. Retrieved 2020-10-14.
3. ^ "Goodbye Soviet Union hits theaters after high anticipation". Estonian Institute in Finland. 2020-06-11. Retrieved 2020-10-14.
4. ^ "Film review: Goodbye Soviet Union". Karjalainen. 2020-07-09. Retrieved 2020-07-16.
5. ^ "Can Soviet-era hardship be funny? Absolutely!". Me Naiset. 2020-07-10. Retrieved 2020-07-16.
6. ^ "Overflowing with Soviet nostalgia". Helsingin Sanomat. 2020-07-10. Retrieved 2020-07-16.

## External links

[edit]

Goodbye Soviet Union at IMDb

This article related to Finnish film is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

|

* v
* t
* e

This article related to an Estonian film is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

|

* v
* t
* e

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template