Tom Mae and Reet Mae, Producers/directors of Vabaduse Mustrid, Patterns of Freedom, an award winning feature documentary on the stories of the Estonian women of the 1944 Baltic Diaspora are now collecting stories for their new project "In Search of Our Fathers". This new project developed from our desire to understand the stories of the Estonian men of the 1944 Baltic Diaspora, and to gather the experiences of those who still remain with us. Our father, whom some Estonians know as Dr. August Mae, was a pilot in the Estonian air force, before he decided to train as a doctor. He started his medical training during the difficult years 1938-44, and like many young men of his generation was impacted by the war, but rarely spoke of it. Now we wish we had asked more about those war years and what impact the war and the subsequent escape to Sweden had on the person he became. To date, through a generous anonymous donation, a new collaborative film venture has been established between Mae Productions Inc and The Estonian Studies Centre (Toronto). A number of interviews have been conducted with men who were born in Estonia and left during the war years. The filming trips have also been supported by local Estonian communities, who found hosts for us and scheduled many interviews in varied locations; Montreal, Ottawa, Baltimore, Lakewood, and Willimantic Connecticut, resulting in new and renewed friendships for us. If you have a Baltic Diaspora story you would be willing to share, please contact us.
These films are a collaboration between the Estonian Studies Centre and Mae Productions Inc. If you would like to support these projects, Canadian tax deductible donations can be made. Please contact us if you would like to support telling our Baltic Diaspora Stories.
Estonian/English Language Documentary Films