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PUBLIC & MEDIA

Some of my recent public talks, interesting reviews of my work and interviews.

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INTERPRETING THE MOBILITY OF ESTONIAN YOUNG ADULTS WITH DR. TERJE TOOMISTU

2022

For Canadians of Estonian heritage, Estonia can be seen as quite an idyllic place to be—to the extent that some wouldn't understand why an Estonian would want to leave the Estonia of today. Anthropologist and documentary filmmaker Dr. Terje Toomistu, who is a Research Fellow at the University of Tartu's Department of Ethnology, has revealed the reasons for leaving in detail in her postdoctoral research, for which the new film Homing Beyond (Põlvkond piiri taga) is a central part. 
Interview by Vincent Teetsov. Published at Estonian Life No. 18 2022.

THE SOVIET HIPPIES

AN INTERVIEW WITH

TERJE TOOMISTU

A LOOK AT COUNTERCULTURE BEHIND THE IRON CURTAIN.

2017

Interview by Loren Balhorn. Published at Jacobin Magazine. 

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LIFE IN THE 'HAIRY UNDERGROUND': THE LOST HISTORY OF SOVIET HIPPIES

2019

It was a subculture shaped by communism, inspired by the west – and watched by the KGB. Now, a new documentary charts the movement’s charismatic leaders, conflicts and future.


Film review by Luke Harding published at the Guardian. 

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A NEW DOCUMENTARY CHRONICLES THE SECRET HISTORY OF SOVIET HIPPIES

2019

In the Soviet Union the hippy movement was more controversial, and longer-lasting, than its forebear in America. 

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Film review by R.D. in the Economist. 

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THE ‘HIGH TIMES’ OF THE BREZHNEV YEARS

2018

USSR: Vivid memories of home-made psychedelic drugs and Soviet revolutionary times are brought to life in Soviet Hippies.

Film review by Nick Holdsworth at Modern Times Review. 

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SOVIET HIPPIES

2018

The hippie movement that captivated hundreds of thousands of young people in the West had a profound impact on the other side of the Iron Curtain. Within the Soviet system, a colorful crowd of artists, musicians, freaks, vagabonds and other long-haired drop-outs created their own system, which connected those who believed in peace, love, and freedom for their bodies and souls.

Interview with Terje Toomistu Cece (October, 2017) by Klemen Breznikar published at It's Psychedelic Baby Magazine. 

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LONG HAIR AND BELL-BOTTOMS BEHIND THE IRON CURTAIN: SOVIET HIPPIES

2017

Listening to Steely Dan and the Beatles whilst consuming industrial amounts of mind-altering substances was not only a thing in the USA and western Europe. In the Soviet Union, hippies and bohemians organised themselves in a loose network called Sistema.  In her colourful documentary Soviet Hippies, Toomistu explores the history of Sistema and meets up with survivors of the movement.


Interview published at Deep Baltic conducted by Tom Peeters

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Public&Media: News
Terje Toomistu kõne.
43:51
VABAMU

Terje Toomistu kõne.

Public&Media: Video Player
Terje Toomistu loeng Alan Proosa näitusel
01:09:38
Tartu Kunstimuuseum

Terje Toomistu loeng Alan Proosa näitusel

Terje Toomistu loeng „Kagu-Aasia transnaiste igatsusest olla ja kuuluda” Alan Proosa näitusel „Armastuse, õitsengu, hurma ja kaduviku lood” Tartu Kunstimuuseumis 14.01.2021. Terje Toomistu räägib oma loengus põgusalt, miks transsoolised Kagu-Aasias nii nähtavad on, aitab mõtestada, miks neist nii paljud seksitööga seotud on, ning kirjeldab paari kujundliku näite varal, kuidas waria’d enesele kohta otsivad ja loovad. Loeng toimus seoses Alan Proosa näitusega „Armastuse, õitsengu, hurma ja kaduviku lood” https://tartmus.ee/naitus/alan-proosa-isikunaitus/
Public&Media: Video Player
A brief history of Soviet hippies | Terje Toomistu | TEDxLambeth
10:04
TEDx Talks

A brief history of Soviet hippies | Terje Toomistu | TEDxLambeth

Born out of a lucky meeting with local hippies during her travels, Terje Toomistu tells us about the little-known history of 'Soviet hippies' and their contradictory treatment by authorities behind the Iron Curtain. Terje Toomistu is an Estonian documentary filmmaker and anthropologist. She holds double MA degrees in Ethnology and in Communication Studies from University of Tartu, where she is pursuing a PhD degree in Anthropology. Her current main areas of research are Indonesian gender and sexuality and the late-Soviet non-conformist youth. For the past eight years, she has run a multi-platform research-driven media project about the hippie movement in Soviet Union, featuring a travelling exhibition in museums and galleries internationally, as well as a documentary film and soundtrack. Her filmography includes 'Wariazone' (2011), 'Archeology of Ayahuasca' (2016) and her most recent award-winning 'Soviet Hippies' (2017). This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
Public&Media: Video Player
41ª Mostra - Terje Toomistu, de Hippies Soviéticos
02:43
Mostra Internacional de Cinema

41ª Mostra - Terje Toomistu, de Hippies Soviéticos

http://mostra.org/
Public&Media: Video Player
Director Terje Toomistu on her film Soviet Hippies
28:23
Haemmerli

Director Terje Toomistu on her film Soviet Hippies

Terje Toomistu tells how she came to make a film on the Soviet Underground of the eastern hippies. And how she achieved the peculiar look of the film, that combines classical documentary with animation.
Public&Media: Video Player
Public&Media: Video Player

Terje Toomistu in conversation with JP Pulkkinen about her film Soviet Hippies at Love and Anarchy International Film Festival in Helsinki

Soviet Hippies Finnish Premiere, 2017
Interview during the first 23 minutes

Public&Media: Video
Director Terje Toomistu speaks about the use of archives in Soviet Hippies for DOKLeipzig
08:38
Fridahhhh

Director Terje Toomistu speaks about the use of archives in Soviet Hippies for DOKLeipzig

Introduction to documentary film Soviet Hippies with a focus on the use of archives in the film, for DOKLeipzig 2018. Recorded in Indonesia, 2018.
Public&Media: Video Player
Public&Media: Video Player
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