To Breathe as One

The previous documentary "The Singing Revolution" by the authors tandem James Tusty and Maureen Castle Tusty gathered over 19 000 admissions in Estonian cinemas and was presented in 140 cities around North-America. The film received a lot of media attention and the topic was covered in US newspapers, magazines, radio, television and the internet.

"To Breath as One" takes one step further from "The Singing Revolution". The film presents to the world Estonia's most important cultural event, The Song Festival, which in many ways defines the Estonian nation's narrative. Choral music has always played an important role in Estonian cultural heritage. Moreover, singing is not only a way for cultural expression, but has been defining our cultural identitiy for already more than a century.

"To Breath as One" is a documentary film about the Song Festival. The story is told through the eyes of the two choir conductors and friends - an American conductor Bob Geary and Estonian conductor Aarne Saluveer. In 2009, the Piedmont Youth Choir from California is selectted to participate in the Song Festival. Young singers know very little about Estonia and witness a cultural clash. This choir comes to the event knowing that they will be performing on a big concert, but leaves with knowledge that the historical and emotional impact of the Song Festival is something greater than what they had expected. "To Breath as One" that was filmed before and during the Song Festival of 2009 introduces a dynamic development of the event in the context of history.