The ownership reform carried out in Estonia, that had newly regained its independence, was supposed to create the preconditions for a transition to a market economy. At the same time, homeownership reform is a field that has touched everyone living in Estonia, in the case of which the authorities have often tried to refrain from speaking the truth and from publishing facts to a wider audience. The mainstream media and government circles have generally been silent about injustice, human suffering and even criminal mismanagement associated with ownership reform.

The ownership reform rendered thousands of Estonian families homeless. Children and the elderly generation who had worked for the Estonian state and then entering their old age were legally deprived of their right of ownership to their home. These people are not subject to the principle of equal treatment in Estonia - these people could not privatize their homes after their years of work.

This injustice has not been remedied to this day! The state has so far not even tried to do this and has not shown any initiative to redress the damage done to people.

Movie is ordered by Tallinn City Office

Toomas Lepp
Estonian Filmmakers´Union
Independent producer
toomas@lepp.ee

Explanation;

On September 17, 1997, the Minister of Economic Affairs Jaak Leimann made a speech at the Riigikogu. A quote from his speech: „ Among those who visit us often, there are about 100,000 people who live in returned houses and could not use their privatisation vouchers at least to buy an apartment. So, symbolically they have lost a significant amount. Indeed, one has to admit that we are in debt to these people to a certain degree, and we must solve the issue of these people not only with the help of the law, but also financially.”