To Breathe as One - The Estonian National Song Festival

Streaming video - 2014

Every five years, 30,000 people gather on the same stage in the small country of Estonia to join voices and sing in the National Song Festival for two days, becoming the largest choir in the world. More than a music festival, it’s a miracle that at least twice in history gave freedom to that country. To Breathe As One explores the beauty and meaning of the choral festival through the eyes of the young members of the California-based Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir, one of the few American choirs invited to participate. Learning difficult songs — all in Estonian — the youngsters prepare for months and then set off to join the many thousands from around the world who gather every five years in Tallinn.. Forming cross-cultural frien...dships that span the oceans, there they discover the unique role that music has played for Estonians for over 150 years, as an integral force in maintaining strength and identity for a people who have faced cultural genocide — more than once. From the filmmakers of the acclaimed The Singing Revolution, the film reveals that for Estonians singing is not just a means of cultural expression, but a defining part of their national identity. more