Jaak Kilmi's memoir of growing up in Soviet Estonia during the Cold War is an irreverent but loving attempt to chronicle a nation's cultural awakening during its transition to capitalism.
Thanks to Finnish airwaves that didn't respect the Iron Curtain, the repressed citizens of Tallinn began viewing such American television programs as "Dallas" in 1982.
The Soviets, correctly viewing this cultural incursion as a threat, take steps to block the transmissions. Retro in its '80s-era milieu, "Disco" combines archive photos and news footage with staged sequences and interviews to augment his first-person account of milestone events.
Despite governmental attempts to block airwaves, inventive Estonians found ways to circumvent the problem. Hamburger and soap commercials whet the appetites of future consumers. The broadcast of the famous X-rated porn classic "Emmanuelle" proves especially inspiring to Estonia's culture-hungry populace.
"Disco & Atomic War" is an inventive look at events leading up to the fall of the Iron Curtain. The truths here are so organic and alive you can feel them.
Not Rated. 86 mins.
