| Kevade | |
| Director: | Arvo Kruusement |
| Producer: | Tallinnfilm |
| Screenplay: | Kaljo Kiisk Voldemar Panso |
| Music: | Veljo Tormis |
| Cinematography: | Harry Rehe |
| Editing: | Ludmilla Rozenthal |
| Studio: | Tallinnfilm |
| Runtime: | 84 minutes |
| Country: | Estonian SSR Soviet Union |
| Language: | Estonian |
Spring (Estonian: '''Kevade''') is a 1969 Estonian film directed by Arvo Kruusement[1] and is a film adaptation of Oskar Luts' popular novel of the same name.[2] The movie placed first place in the Estonian feature films top ten poll held in 2002 by Estonian film critics and journalists.[3] In 1970 the movie sold 558,000 tickets in Estonia, then nearly half of the country's total population of 1.36 million[4] and 8,100,000 in the Soviet Union in 1971.[5] The film was re-released in Estonia on 13 April 2006.
The film was shot in Palamuse, which was the prototype area of Oskar Luts' "Paunvere". It was followed by three sequels: 1976's Summer (Suvi), 1990's Autumn (Sügis) and 2020's Winter (Talve), all of which included original actors from this film.
The film is based on the short story of the same name ("Kevade") by Estonian writer and philosopher Oskar Luts, and takes place in an Estonian village at the end of the 19th century. The story focuses on the children of the village over the course of one academic year. The majority of the plot and character development takes place in the spring, culminating in first love, friendships, and other coming-of-age emotions.