Made in Estonia

If an Eastern European Coen Brothers were to make a madcap goof “Raising Estonia,” it might go something like this: Vaino., finds his flat in the city of Tallinn bulldozed for construction of a NATO airbase. The government relocates the fellow to a community where cycle-riding punks take an instant dislike to newcomers. When Vaino's overprotective sister Maie (the same actor in drag) places a lonely-hearts ad for her brother, the attention of various village females further marks Vaino as a troublemaker. One biker hires a stranger to drive off such outsiders. The paid assailant? Vaino. It may (or may not) help escalating confusion to know that you are watching a mind's eye-view of “Made in Estonia,” an unscripted radio serial, done in the studio entirely by two actors, Norm and Mili, who crazily blend slapstick, action, ribaldry, nationalism and pop-music numbers (especially a showstopping finale). On-air snafus and their own preoccupations warp the narrative beyond absurdity, while still reflecting a basic need for a better life and a happy ending. (In Estonian and Lithuanian with English subtitles)