Smile at Last (1985) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language

1985 · 85 mins · Estonian

Directed by

Leida Laius

Starring

Hendrik Toompere, Helle Kuningas, Mari Lill, Evald Aavik, Maria Klenskaja, Rudolf Allabert

Sixteen‑year‑old Mari, abandoned by a drunken father, is placed in a harsh orphanage. Though she tries to run away immediately, she remains and struggles to adjust to the children’s coarse manners and brutal games. Over time she begins to comprehend the shared suffering of her fellow residents, who have long forgotten how to cry, and she experiences her first love—not with her self‑appointed protector Tauri, but with the rough‑mannered yet caring Robi.