Memories Denied
Director Imbi Paju
Countries
Duration 5942 min
Synopsis
For many years, the terrifying experience of Estonians in Stalin's labor camps was a taboo subject. It was not until 1991, when Estonia gained its independence that this dark chapter of the country's history was revealed. In Memories Denied, journalist and film maker Imbi Paju tells the story of her mother and her mother's twin sister in a totalitarian society under Stalinism, Soviet occupation and terror when repressing memories was the only method of self-defense. The film is an analysis of memory which goes through violent personal memories of the Second World War sixty years after Stalin’s concentration camps and Soviet terror. In the documentary, the director depicts her mother’s past and, at the same time, that of all Estonia. The film reveals that it is still hard to talk about the unresolved past, but this journey must be completed in order for these women and their country to heal from the wounds of history.
For many years, the terrifying experience of Estonians in Stalin's labor camps was a taboo subject. It was not until 1991, when Estonia gained its independence that this dark chapter of the country's history was revealed. In Memories Denied, journalist and film maker Imbi Paju tells the story of her mother and her mother's twin sister in a totalitarian society under Stalinism, Soviet occupation and terror when repressing memories was the only method of self-defense. The film is an analysis of memory which goes through violent personal memories of the Second World War sixty years after Stalin’s concentration camps and Soviet terror. In the documentary, the director depicts her mother’s past and, at the same time, that of all Estonia. The film reveals that it is still hard to talk about the unresolved past, but this journey must be completed in order for these women and their country to heal from the wounds of history.