The fast-paced comedy “Sangarid” takes its audience back to the 1980s, where three Estonian friends flee from the Soviet Union to Finland in hopes of a Western lifestyle. Despite lacking personal experience with the West, the boys have been enticed by popular TV shows like Miami Vice, Knight Rider, and Santa Barbara. Their journey to Finland is successful after a few twists and turns, but because Finland at that time repatriated refugees back to the Soviet Union, the friends had to continue their journey to Sweden. Initially, our Western neighbor welcomed the trio who escaped the Iron Curtain as heroes, but after the initial excitement, the reception and life’s realities turned considerably bleaker. Despite the challenges, the friends show creativity, and through a series of mishaps, they eventually respond to their situation by turning to crime in Finland. In addition to its comedic elements, the film offers a fantastic glimpse into the 1980s culture in Finland, Estonia, and Sweden. The lively adventure comedy was written by Martin Algus, who drew inspiration from well-known Finnish events from the mid-1980s. However, the events in the movie are fictional.
