A young woman from a tightly knit, watchful family leads a secret double life, where forbidden love collides with tradition in an inevitable clash. Drama 2025, directors Rain Tolk and Andres Maimik.
We’ll start by making the dough. While the dough rises and bakes (about 1 hour and 40 minutes), we’ll prepare herb butter and taste Kihnu bread made by Külli, served with herb butter and jam. Alongside, we’ll share authentic stories about Kihnu’s food traditions and their continuity. Each participant will take home their own freshly baked, warm loaf of bread.
The brunch menu is inspired by the rich flavors of the Baltic Sea, featuring fresh and seasonal ingredients carefully selected for the occasion. Guests can indulge in both traditional Estonian breakfast dishes and the restaurant’s modern culinary specialties, all crafted with passion and care.
Zetod is a five-member (Artur Linnus (accordion, vocals), Matis Leima (violin, karmoska, vocals), Jalmar Vabarna (guitar, vocals), Jaanus Viskar (bass, vocals), Martin Kütt (drums)) folk and folk-rock band from Setomaa, bringing a fresh and energetic twist to Estonian traditional music since 2003. Their sound blends ancient Seto singing and instrumental traditions with a modern edge.
Estonian Apple Schnapps Tasting with the renowned wine expert Kadri Kroon and experienced sommelier Aili Puskar.
Join us for a unique tasting experience celebrating Estonia’s finest apple schnapps! Led by Aili Puskar, this event will take you on a flavorful journey through the rich traditions of Estonian craft distilling.
"The Night Queen" is a gripping story about the encounter between two very different people. Elli, a former opera singer who once performed on the grand stages of a famous opera house, now struggles to navigate life in Estonia after a tragic chain of events. Every day, she faces the inevitability of decline. The story takes an intriguing turn when Jakob, a young and handsome social worker, unexpectedly appears at her doorstep. Adding to the mystery is a man known only as the Beekeeper. Who is he? What is his business here, and what role does he play in Elli’s life? The answers may be surprising.
Markus Puskar is a self-taught artist whose work is influenced by folk and outsider art. His paintings and drawings take viewers on a visual journey, where organic forms and movement create a unique rhythm and energy. In addition to being an artist, Markus works as a social worker and serves on the board of Joy’s Kitchen, a food rescue organization.
A Supporter Ticket is a great way to contribute to the sustainability of the New York Estonian Cultural Days. Your support helps preserve and promote Estonian culture in the USA while giving you a special sense of community. Thank you for keeping our traditions alive!
The supporter ticket includes entry to Saturday’s events: the performance, Estonian Snaps III, and the Zetod concert.
A Supporter Ticket is a great way to contribute to the sustainability of the New York Estonian Cultural Days. Your support helps preserve and promote Estonian culture in the USA while giving you a special sense of community. Thank you for keeping our traditions alive!
The supporter ticket includes entry to Saturday’s events: the performance, Estonian Snaps III, and the Zetod concert.
FREE EVENT. Veljo Tormis regilaul. Mimi Daitz book Ancient Song Recovered: The Life and Music of Veljo. TormisTormis Virtual Center project manager Iti Teder, folk singers Celia Roose and Ants Johanson).
FREE EVENT. Filmmakers Heilika and Ülo Pikkov have carefully selected the most exciting Estonian short films of the last few years.
TICKETED EVENT. CLICK ON VIEW EVENT FOR TICKETS. Brunch by Muhu-based restaurant Tuul, run by chef Ingrem Raidjõe.
TICKETED EVENT. CLICK ON VIEW EVENT FOR TICKETS. Voted 2024 best song and album of the year, ALIKA performs from her own repertoire and from arrangements of the best Estonian songs.
TICKETED EVENT. CLICK ON VIEW EVENT FOR TICKETS. Kadri Kroon conducts an introduction to prize winning Estonian craft drinks together with tasting of six small producers’ particularly unique berry drinks and two cocktails made from them.
FREE EVENT. Tormis Virtual Center project manager Iti Teder, folk singers Celia Roose and Ants Johanson. Regilaul (runic song) workshop.
TICKETED EVENT. CLICK ON VIEW EVENT FOR TICKETS. Based on the autobiographical books of Käbi Laretei, the play is the story of a person with extraordinary passion. Her life included a career as an acclaimed pianist, raising children, two marriages and several other torrid relationships. Staring Kersti Kreismann, Kirke Karja, Märt Metsaviir, directed by Kersti Kreismann.
FREE BUT REGISTRATION REQUIRED. CLICK ON VIEW EVENT FOR REGISTRATION. When was the last time you got to deeply discuss the importance of Nublu or rye bread in preserving Estonian identity? Here’s your chance! We’re inviting 16-35 year old Estonians to our workshop on all things Estonian. Let’s learn more about each other, get new information on Estonia, and discuss language learning, the future of Estonian language, work and study across cultures and more. See you there!
FREE EVENT. Anne talks about her artistic journey and inspiration
FREE EVENT. Anu Hint, the curator of the “To Be Estonian” exhibition discusses the interpretation of Estonian folklore and heritage in modern fashion.
FREE EVENT. All who are curious or interested in contributing articles, interviews, photos, videos, or other to the Free Estonian Word newspaper are welcomed. Skills, tips and know-how shared by veteran journalist and scholar Maarja Pärl Lõhmus.
FREE EVENT. Come meet with your old and new friends (for young people)! Global Estonian Youth Network invites youth aged 16-35 for a social mixer. The social features a performance by LA-based Estonian female rapper SVNDRA and Long Drink specials.
FREE EVENT. Monika-Evelin Liiv, mezzo-soprano (Finnish National Opera, London Covent Garden, Estonian National Opera), Dmitry Pavlov (Finnish National Opera) on piano. Estonian and Italian romantic music will be performed - Saar, Kapp, Türnpuu, Tsoti, Respighi and others.
FREE EVENT. The Estonian Consulate General in New York and the Estonian Educational Society of New York invite you to the festive opening of the Cultural Days. Heidy Purga (Minister of Culture), 2023 Foundation grantee Frank Raudsepp and musicians will perform. Exhibitions “Why Estonia? From ENSV to e-Estonia in 30 years”, opening of “To be Estonian” and “Fragments”.
FREE EVENT. 20 years since the birth of Estonia’s largest museum created on a private initiative: how does the Museum of Occupations and Freedom Vabamu preserve Estonian freedom today?
FREE EVENT. Session 1: The role of the Estonian-American newspaper Vaba Eesti Sõna in keeping alive hope for the restored independence of the Republic of Estonia and nourishing the spirit of idealism.
Session 2: Staying the Course: Connecting Estonian-American families and communities.
TICKETED EVENT. CLICK ON VIEW EVENT FOR TICKETS: Film screening: A guard on the Soviet-Chinese border who, after surviving a deadly attack, decides to become a monk but must continually prove along the way that he’s capable of becoming the enlightened man he set out to be.
We’re back. Join us in New York City for our annual celebration of Estonian arts, culture, and community. On the agenda this year: commemorating 75 years of the Free Estonian Word, the Estonian Vabamu museum, concerts from Estonian artists (classical and pop), theatre, runic song workshops, and more!
Events and times subject to change.
PROGRAM
Kyle Reinhart (Scandinavian House):
New York Baltic Film Festival 2023
Frank Raudsepp (The Recipient of the Young Artist Grant by The Foundation of Estonian Arts and Letters 2023):
An Expatriate’s Journey: Weaving Heritage into Art
Coffee Break
Heilika and Ülo Pikkov (Silmviburlane) :
Films followed by discussion:
Why Don’t I Leave? (documentary) directed by Liina Särkinen
Body Memory (animation) directed by Ülo Pikkov
Empty Space (animation) directed by Ülo Pikkov
‘Til We Meet Again (animation) directed by Ülo Pikkov
My Flesh and Blood (documentary) directed by Heilika Pikkov
Frank Raudsepp is an Estonian-Belgian filmmaker and photographer based in Brooklyn, New York. He has been a part of a significant amount of film, tv, and commercial productions for such networks as ABC, NBCUniversal, Netflix, FX, and CW amongst others. Frank has held varying positions ranging from production coordinator, assistant director, producer, to director of photography, writer, and director. By establishing a strong understanding of the inner workings of the different departments in the industry, Frank has become a very dedicated and effective filmmaker. His latest film “Outcast Forest” is set to release in 2024 and follows the journey of an Estonian Viking stranded in England. Frank has also established a strong photography portfolio over the years. His work has been published multiple times on Vogue’s Photovogue platform and was recently part of the A.R.T. exhibit in Guildford, UK. He has most recently shot New York Fashion Week and toured across the US documenting the musical journey of the band “Juice”.
Heilika Pikkov (1982) is a documentary filmmaker and internationally well-known curator and cultural manager. She studied film and television directing at Tallinn University and spent a semester at the University of Central Lancashire in UK. For 8 years she was the organiser and programmer of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival’s animation festival, Animated Dreams. She also worked as a manager for the international programme of Estonia 100 and the EU Presidency at the Government Office of Estonia. She has directed several documentaries, including Flowers from the Mount of Olives (2013), which had great success in Estonian cinemas and My Flesh and Blood (2018), which won Best Short Film of the Year at the Estonian Film and Television Awards.
Ülo Pikkov (1976) is an internationally renowned filmmaker, producer and film scholar. He studied animation at the Turku Arts Academy in Finland and since 1996 has directed several award-winning animation films. He has published articles on film and written fiction books for children and adults. He is the author of “Animasophy, Theoretical Writings on the Animated Film” (2011). In 2018 he got his doctoral degree at the Estonian Academy of Arts with thesis “Anti-Animation: Textures of Eastern European Animated Film” and today he works as a professor and head of the animation department at the same institution. In 2023/2024 Ülo is a visiting scholar at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).
Production Company
Silmviburlane, founded in 2006 by Heilika and Ülo Pikkov, is a small and mobile film production company in Tallinn, Estonia, which produces documentary and animation films.
www.silmviburlane.ee
https://www.facebook.com/silmviburlane
Looking Together to the Future!
Join us for a virtual book club to discuss Andrus Kivirähk’s The Man Who Spoke Snakish! Register at www.estonianculture.org/book-club
11:00 - Small group discussions
12:00 - meeting with author Andrus Kivirähk, moderated by Anu Tonts (dramaturg, Vanemuine Theater)
Register by January 28.
