New documentary series brings stories of Estonians around the world to the screen
Estonians abroad are the focus of a new exhibition, memoir and a documentary miniseries by anthropologist-filmmaker Terje Toomistu.
"Generation Beyond Borders," Toomistu's new six-part documentary miniseries, focuses on her own cohort, Generation Y. She described it as the first generation to fully benefit from freedom of movement within Europe, "coming of age just as the doors had opened."
The project is linked to research conducted at the University of Tartu, including a large-scale survey examining why people move abroad as well as why many don't come back. One major factor, Toomistu said, is economic anxiety.
"Our data shows that fear of not being able to make ends meet in Estonia is one of the main factors stopping [people] from returning," she said.
Estonians abroad contribute differently
At the same time, the anthropologist challenges the notion that those who leave Estonia are lost to society. Estonians abroad, she said, continue to contribute in other ways, such as through investments, sharing knowledge and constantly representing Estonia abroad.
"In a sense, they are our ambassadors beyond the border," she said.
"Generation Beyond Borders" also focuses on the emotional weight of migration.
"What it means to have two homes," Toomistu explained. "What it means when your grandkids can't spend time with their grandparents the way they could if they lived in Estonia. What it means to feel guilt over the fact that the Estonian state gave you a childhood and a university education, and then you left Estonia."
Those emotions, she said, are often intense and contradictory, which is precisely what makes the topic so compelling from an anthropological perspective.
At Vabamu Museum of Occupations and Freedom in Tallinn, Toomistu serves as one of the curators of the exhibition "Estonia Worldwide," which opened Wednesday. Her contribution closely mirrors the themes of her miniseries.
