Siin me oleme!

"Siin me oleme!" is one of the first movies I remember. Maybe that is the reason, why every time it is on television, I just have to watch it over and over again.

The characters, the plot, the wits that almost everybody knows by heart... They are all good. And, of course, who could forget the beautiful Estonian nature, that is shown excellently in this movie! Watching this magnificent work of art, I always get flashbacks from my childhood when the summers looked exactly like the one in "Siin me oleme!"

Definitely one of the best works of Sulev Nõmmik.

Siin me oleme! Is a timeless Estonian comedy directed by Sulev Nõmmik, one of the country's most beloved filmmakers. This was his last feature film and is often considered his best. The film is based on the works of Estonian writer Juhan Smuul and mixes clever dialogue, fun characters, and beautiful music.

The story follows a city couple who travel to a small island for their summer vacation. Their arrival at the quiet farm quickly turns life upside down for the local family. The film explores the funny and sometimes chaotic clashes between city people and country folk. Ervin Abel, one of Estonia's favourite comedy actors, gives a wonderful performance that still makes people laugh today.

The film is filled with jokes about everyday life, relationships, and even a few light jabs at the Soviet system. One memorable line from the bossy city lady is, "We are the Soviet people, we pay!" The film also includes romantic moments, smart satire, and lots of musical scenes with beautiful songs that make it feel like a light musical comedy.

Many Estonians remember this film from childhood and still enjoy watching it today. The stunning Estonian nature, especially in the opening scene with an aerial view of the island, leaves a lasting impression. It is more than just a comedy-it's a piece of Estonian culture. With its lovable characters and smart humour, it's a film that continues to bring joy to viewers of all ages. A must-watch for anyone interested in classic Estonian cinema.

"Siin me oleme!" ("Here we are") was last and I think best of famous trilogy of comedy ace Sulev Nõmmik. The multi-talented (started as ballet artists, worked as stand-up comedian, directed musicals etc.) guy was one of few Estonian movie directors who knew how to make really catchy and funny films. He had his certain cast and his movies were simple, compact and well edited. "Siin me oleme" is actually something like musical, filled with hilarious songs and music. It is basing on Juhan Smuul's (writer and poet of Estonia, heavily heralded by Soviet power) satirical monologue about urban middle-aged pair trying to spend summer vacation in small island among a fisherman's family. The movie contains bunch of impressive characters, loads of funny gags, some romantics (sometimes tongue in cheek), but most importantly, great dialogs. And some of them were TOO risky. For example, first lines we hear from Kohviveski (the grotesque middle aged madam from big city): "WE are the SOVIET people, we PAY!". And so on. After the movie the career of film director Sulev Nõmmik was halted and he never recovered. He continued as successful comedian and director of TV shows but only movie he made late was a short pseudo-documentary in late 80s.

'Here We Are' is a timeless classic that combines fantastic physical comedy with witty dialogue. This was last feature multi talented director Sulev Nõmmik directed. And he was in his best form while doing it. Such a smart writing - so many quotable lines and subtle humor. And the film is timeless, because such human types still exists - very down to earth intelligent rural people, and higher class full of themselves big city folks. Although there are some subtle jokes about Soviet regime (The government is good at the moment, but they demand too much from our children - only study, study study.) most jokes are just about our own human nature.

Not to mention the opening scene of the film - aerial shot of the island with that wonderful song playing. It is probably the only moment in Estonian movie that give me genuine chills, the good chills.

I remember seeing it first when I was 5 years old. It was funny then and it is even funnier now. A comedy movie for every age and the older you get you find new stuff that you hadn't noticed before. One of the best Estonian movies ever like "Mehed Ei Nuta"("Men Don't Cry") and "Noor Pensionär"("Young Senior"). A hilarious comedy about city people and country people as their world collide. A summer vacation with a lot of twists and turns and a lot of fun. What can I say, it's a classic and Ervin Abel is one of my favorite comedy actors from those movies back in the 70s, as is Sulev Nõmmik. Their performance is just stunning in those movies. If you get able to watch it and have a need for a good laugh, then I strongly recommend it. ^_^