A story about the summer of 1993 in Narva
Many people do not remember the Narva referendum. Yet it has been called one of the most serious crises in the first years of newly independent Estonia.
The play takes the viewer back to a time when Estonia had been independent for only two years and many questions were still open. A referendum was organized in Narva and Sillamäe, the aim of which was to give the region autonomy. There was a possibility that a part of Ida-Virumaa would separate from Estonia or move into the Russian sphere of influence.
The then Prime Minister Mart Laar has called the Narva referendum the most difficult crisis of his administration. The background was fresh conflicts in Transnistria and Abkhazia and the fear that something similar could happen in Estonia as well. The government sent the young Indrek Tarandi as a special representative to Narva, whose task was to assess the situation and try to control the crisis.
This story unfolds in the meeting of two people on this day. The past is tried to be understood through documents, memories and personal experiences. This is how major political events and people's life choices, doubts and memories are intertwined. Thirty years later, questions about borders, security and belonging have not gone away. On the contrary, they sound louder and louder around us again.
"Kuum suvi '93" is Tiit Palu's documentary drama production from a time when Estonia's future could take several different paths and political decisions were intertwined with people's personal stories.
NB! Performances in Narva are subtitled in Russian.
What do you remember from 1993? Or what have you heard about it?
