KATRIN
view the film
5 min.
2006
Color
Language: English
Katrin is 15 years old. She was born and raised in Tallinn. Her father is Estonian, her mother is Russian.
Katrin and her mother had just arrived in Sillamäe when I met her.
While her mother was in prison she went to live with her father
for a few months, and then left him to stay with a friend.
When her mother was released, they both came to live in Sillamäe,
a Russian environment more familiar to them, and this is where I met her.
She shares her opinion about the relationship between the Russian and Estonian communities. She also mentions the issue of citizenship in Estonia: Estonian citizens have a blue Estonian passport, Russians have either a red Russian passport or a grey 'alien’s' passport. After Estonia became independent this non-citizenship passport was given to those who chose to stay in Estonia without taking the language and culture exam required to get the blue passport.