Little Johannes has never had it easy. Born prematurely into the eccentric Tarkkinen family near the end the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic, he is raised by his irreconcilably opinionated grandparents, his mother having left for nearby Finland in search of a better life. He’s got problems at school, preoccupied not by his studies, but by quarrels and fights with his peers, as well as his secret crush on his schoolmate Vera. And then, on top of all that, the “evil empire” suddenly collapses…

Goodbye Soviet Union is the feature-length debut of Estonian director Lauri Randla, combining his own childhood memories of the Soviet era with the experiences of his friends and acquaintances. Glory days they were not, if anything they were tragic, but the original film advances the appealing thesis that even tragedy can be laughed at – it just depends on your perspective. Randla has succeeded in creating a funny, nostalgic memoir that is also a deeply personal story, conveying family bonds and longing for freedom. The film won the Audience Award at the Tallinn Film Festival.