Smile at Last

A quiet, sorrowful coming-of-age portrait that aches with loneliness and slowly lets tenderness break through harsh surroundings.

Directed by

Leida Laius

Genres

Drama, Family

Starring

Monika Raide, Hendrik Toompere, Tauri Tallermaa

Overview

16-year-old Mari, raised without a mother by a drunkard father, is put in an orphanage which she immediately, though unsuccessfully, tries to flee from. The sensitive Mari finds it hard to adapt to the coarse manners and brutal games amongst the children. Only gradually does she develop a sense for the similarly difficult fates of her fellow sufferers, who have long forgotten how to cry. She even falls in love for the first time, not with her self-appointed “protector” Tauri, but with the rough-mannered Robi.

How it feels

Melancholic, bleak, earnest and tense. Slow-burning and needs your attention.

About

Isolation, coming-of-age, family, grief

Content

Mild violence, sexual content and language. No gore.

Note

Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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Watch the trailer on YouTube (opens in a new tab)