Discoveries from Latvia World Cinema

Through expressive poetic cinematography this film offers a “poem” on the hundreds of worker-bees behind the annual celebrations of Latvian proclamation on November 18.

Ģirts and his friend plan an excursion to a mystical place, the abandoned Potassium Park. In order to get the family car, Ģirts lies and says he is going fishing, so his parents compel him to take his younger brother along. Ģirts’ friend backs out, and he is forced to go fishing after all. Bitter about the failed plan, Ģirts is mean, but his brother’s joy over the first fish caught is a self-revelation of his pervasive injustice towards his younger brother. As a gift, Ģirts shows him the secret entrance to Potassium Park. The brothers head off on an exciting foray through the abandoned and mysterious structures, until they accidentally uncover a box of explosives that tests their newly-developed camaraderie.

A story about several hours, which significantly change the adolescent boy's life. In a small town in Latvia, there is an old Ferris wheel near a bar, in which the protagonist meets a female truck driver, and soon the wheel of fate of the adolescent boy is set in motion.

The moment when the lights on the stage suddenly go out and the dancer finds himself completely alone in the digital environment, the way back to the viewer must be sought again. Only by looking at oneself, Latvianness and the code of identity - in the lines and patterns of Latvian signs, an unimaginable power will be revealed. And one to one, two to four, tens to hundreds, and "one" will be "we" again. "To dress in Latvian signs" ("Latvju zīmēs rotāties") is a special and unique event in the history of Latvian stage folk dance, because instead of the usual stadium or stage format, the signs are arranged in a digital environment, merging hundreds of dancers with tradition, animations and editing possibilities. Also, what has been unprecedented in the context of stage folk dance is the sound quality with which this performance offers to listen to 15 original compositions based on folk lyrics by Mārtiņš Miļevsks.

Raising awareness about the issue of hazardous substances and motivating users to increase pressure on the manufacturers of these products.

The film is a reflection of the Latvian people in the year of the country's centenary – viewers will easily recognize themselves and their personal stories in its scenes. Starting on New Year's Eve, January 1, when the first centenary baby, little Jete, arrives in the world to the sound of fireworks, and ending with piano music playing over a snow-covered and sunlit panorama of Latvia, the film captures the lives of hundreds of people. In addition, by filming each of the 365 days, sometimes with several cameras, and observing the processes of nature, in the countryside and in urban environments, in the lives of individuals, families and society, the cameramen have vividly captured the different facets of this story through the lens of the camera: the beautiful, the bitter, the grand, the meaningless, the comical and the absurd.

This poetic documentary reveals the beauty of the Baltic region’s most notable Baroque garden throughout the year. From the magnificent parterre flower beds and bosquets to the splendor of the rose garden, the camera allows viewers to explore Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli’s original garden design and the landscape of Rundāle Palace throughout the seasons.

An actor that does bad cigarette ad's magically meets a mysterious girl and gets into other absurd situations.

A documentary about Latvian artist Džemma Skulme.

A bull fight takes place in the main arena in Madrid, the capital of Spain. This time, however, the toreador is not as successful as usual and must run away to save his life. Finding a safe place from the angry beast, the toreador uses his mobile phone to call for help. The Rescue Team receives his distress call. It is the very first call from Europe. Using their new, yellow airplane, three brave men depart immediately for a rescue mission...

Influenced by the mood of the winter solstice, a story is raised about the approach of lonely creatures in the bustle of the holiday, in the mysterious light of the campfire flame and the Moon. Snow is falling, everyone is dancing, and everyone is finding a mate. But there is Christmas!

Experts believe that there are ten pairs of European rollers (Coracias garrulus) in Latvia. In 1997, one of these birds was hit by a car. Biologist Edmunds Račinskis is trying to encourage green magpies to nest in Latvia by putting up artificial birdhouses, but people are too busy to pay attention to rare birds and think that the green shrike is a symbol rather than a real bird species.

A documentary about Latvian professional road racing cyclist Toms Skujiņš.

A chronicle of LOK activities from 1997 to 2000. This short film allows viewers to experience the atmosphere of the Sydney Games and provides a glimpse into the life of the Sydney Latvian House, where Latvian athletes and their supporters gathered during the Olympic Games. Special attention is paid to race walker Aigars Fadejevs, weightlifter Viktors Ščerbatihs, gymnast Igors Vihrovs, and judoka Vsevolods Zeļonijs.

A portrait of the witty, artistic, and at times sarcastic Latvian composer Mārtiņš Brauns.

Three young men head to an isolated country house to shoot a film that they hope will bring them fame. They have no experience, but possess the will to change their lives. They make various attempts, but none seem to work. The team comes to a creative impasse, but the stakes are too high to give up. In hopes of drawing out their talents, they spend more and more time chipping away at each other. Previously hidden character traits come to light further complicating their relationship and the making of the film. Soon it's each man for himself. Just when the experiment seems utterly failed, one of them is discovered dead. It's not clear whether it's accidental, suicide or murder, but a real body in the scene satisfies - this could be the start of The Film.

Little children have a bad habit of sucking their thumbs, so in the old days mothers used to frighten them with the Scissorman - a tailor who will cut-off fingers with a big pair of scissors. This film is about the Scissorman.

A young man - Rens arrives to the apartment building in microdistrict. Shutting himself off from the world around him, he settles in one of the apartments in the house, which only has a television and a collection of videotapes. Spending his days in the secluded environment, his only "guests" are the neighbor-woman in the opposite window of the house, the food delivery girl Mon and a dark being whose rare visits are unpredictable and yet closely related to the "burdens" the young man brought with him from the past. Over time, trust and affection for the not- so-talkative food delivery girl grows, and the connection between the apparitions in the apartment and Ren's guests becomes more and more obvious. The real begins to merge with the unreal, the stroboscopic fragmentaryness of consciousness drives Ren into a corner and he is forced to find a solution.

About a toddler who didn't want to sleep.

A blind man waits for the traffic light to turn green. He experiences visions that reveal his inner world and the emotions created by his blindness. With no connection to the real world, he lives in a dream within a dream.

They are bonded by their pain, longing, and their current residence – a semi-open prison for women. While staging Anton Chekhov’s play, Three Sisters, together with professional actors, imprisoned women reveal their harrowing life-stories, dreams and the longing for a decent life outside the prison walls.

Journey of a woman on a writer's retreat, struggling with her identity as a closet homosexual. Her life unfolds through three love interests, one real, one a figment of her imagination and the third virtual - man, woman and AI.

While working near a psychiatric clinic, an electrician is struck by an accident at the very moment he sees a woman on the other side of a fence. Because of the electric shock, he ends up in the hospital, where he gets accustomed to the everyday life of the patients. In order to return to his previous life, he goes through the process of world creation, like a god.

The little friends Lupatiņi—Sockie, Mitten, Pillowie, and Hanky—go to wash up in the evening. They discover that there is no bathroom monster, get to know water and the faucet, enjoy swimming, and compose a song about washing for the Cat.

Shammies' room is so messy it is not possible to find anything anymore. Mr. Cat suggests to spring-clean. To tidy up the house Shammies need to find out where each thing lives.

Five twenty-somethings, in search of an authentic life, move into an isolated country house full of books. Living in the carelessness of youth, with time, practical problems and the immature nature of young people create tension. Everyone has romanticized the idea of an independent and responsibility-free life – running away from reality, they run right into it.

Through following the twists and turns of three generations of women in the Russian-speaking Latvian film director’s family, the film attempts to look at the reality of the half-million community of Russians in the Baltic countries in 2020. Through the story of a grandmother – a veteran of the Second World War who came to Latvia in 1955 in search of a better life, a mother – a lecturer in a closing down Transport and Telecommunication Institute , and an eighteen-year-old daughter – an artist, a student of the prestigious Latvian Art School. The film tries to understand whether this family managed to find its place in the new society after 30 years of Latvian Independence.

A young couple of biologists and their two children move from Riga to a nature reserve where they're provided with an old country cottage. They start to repair the cottage and feel at home, but the former owner of the house suddenly returns from Canada. When he realises that the present inhabitants have kept the spirit of the place alive, he gives up his rights to the cottage. The film then concentrates on him coming to terms with his memories of his time as a guerilla, when he found his first love, his 'sister-in-arms', who betrayed him fifty years ago. The film also investigates the relationship between the young biologists and nature, and the process of reaching adulthood. The title of the film, The Nest, stands for the surroundings of living nature (the forest, the marshes, the coast) and more generally for the small fatherland that has to maintain its position among great powers such as Russia, Germany and America: countries that largely shape the fate of the characters.

The young Jekabs, Linda and Rihards enjoy the spring full of romance and bohemian way of life. The apple-trees are in blossom in Riga and the war unavoidably approaches.

A film-diary that jumps through time and space, and finds connections between various sceneries and situations, which ordinarily would not exist together.

The film, made by colleagues in the TV3 News Service – Ieva Vārna, cameramen Sergejs Medvedevs and Dzintars Rudzītis – collects materials filmed in Ukraine a few days before the Russian full-scale invasion, as well as events in the first weeks of the war. It's a collection of stories by people about the horrors of the war caused by Russia, becoming refugees and standing for the freedom of their homeland in spite of the atrocities done by the occupiers.

When eight-year-old, observant Mare attends a funeral for the first time, the adults’ somber and confusing behavior drives her to seek refuge in her imagination.

In the Gulf of Finland shipwreck hunters come across the remains of a sunken ship. Having examined the images obtained by an underwater robot, researchers come to a conclusion that the wreck remains are that of “Krišjānis Valdemārs” – independent Latvia´s first icebreaker. The story of an icebreaker allows viewers to the look at the history of Latvia between wars from a new angle and provides insights into the little known, but fascinating episodes of a maritime history.

Based on the poem "Interview with a Sad Cow" by Maris Chaklais.

A lyrical sketch about how dreams can lead to the land of dreams and fairy tales.

A film about contemporary society's prejudiced attitude towards prisoners. This attitude causes some inmates to return to prison as a safer, more stable and more understanding environment. This is also the opinion of the film's main character, Svetlana, who has spent most of her life in prison, where she has gained the reputation of an authoritative figure, but outside prison she has nothing. Thanks to the support of the Liepaja Rehabilitation Center, Svetlana and other former prisoners admit that there is now hope of integrating into society, finding work, meeting like-minded and understanding people who can help them overcome the difficult period of adaptation when they have to start taking care of their own lives again.

Two ladies arrive at a small inn for a date after a marriage announcement. The prospective bride, Vineta, has a prestigious position, but is not doing well in her private life. Her subordinate Ulla, on the other hand, believes that a modern woman should be free and independent. The women are in for a bit of a disappointment - the man they have chosen, Viktor, has turned up to the meeting in a tracksuit.

Once upon a time, God settled down for a long time at the very top of the heavenly mountain, but while enjoying a peaceful sleep, he was awakened by a strange noise that shook the entire mountain. So God went to see what was making such a racket that the whole sky and earth were rumbling and lightning was flashing...

Documentarian Aivars Feimanis lived on the Liv Coast, in Melnsils. It's home to Latvia’s ancient indigenous Livs - a small Finno-Ugric people of the North Kurzeme coast, who preserve their unique folklore and traditions to this day. This film is about them.

An animated stop-motion short about keeping one's balance.

The film documents rehearsals for director Vara Brasla's play "I Am Not a Pianist" at the Valmiera Drama Theater. Brasla has decided that this will be his last play. The story was written by Brasla's long-time friend, playwright Alvis Lapiņš, and tells the story of composer Emīls Dārziņš' life, plagiarism scandal, personal vicissitudes, and musical events. Rehearsals are underway, and Brasla, together with actors Mārtiņš Meiers (Emīls Dārziņš), Diāna Kristu Stafecka, Ieva Puķe, Krišjānis Salmiņš, Tālivaldis Lasmanis, and others, are carefully exploring the essence of their roles. All this takes place in the midst of the destroyed Valmiera Drama Theater, where reconstruction is underway. The Covid-19 pandemic adds unexpected twists to the story. The rehearsal process is interspersed with conversations between Brasla and Lapiņš at the home of Vara and his wife, actress Vizma Kalme, until the premiere takes place.

A surreal drama about the Painter, who tries his best to get into the Vienna Academy of Arts. The process of application is not easy, as he shares his living space with the crazy Postman, who delivers him a daily dose of derogatory letters.

Despite a Covid-19 lockdown in Riga, an illegal party is taking place at a loft. This party is secretly being watched through the window of the opposite house. When the observer is noticed by one of the party-goers, events take an unexpected turn.

In the mid – 1960’s, Latvia was a part of the Soviet Union. People lived identical lives, listened to the same radio stations. Children wore the same boots and ate the same porridge every morning. Only their dreams and desires for something different set them apart from each other. For little Dace this is a moment, where stand still of childhood’s happiness turns into time for growing up. "A fullfilled expression of Beauty in the passage of Life." (Dmitry Rancev, "The Independent", Latvia) "Competent and Spartan…" (Jan Ingman, catalogue of "Stockholm IFF")

A film about five Latvian women who were all born the year 1960 and brought up under the Soviet Union regime. When the film starts the Soviet Union has fallen and Latvia is now an independant state. The women are pretty much left to fend for them selves and their children. They describe their lives as divorced and single mothers in a time of social, political and economic crisis. It is a film about broken relationships between men and women, between generations and a society in shambles.

What unfulfilled wishes are hiding inside us when youth has passed long time ago? And if they come true, do they come in the right place and time? A railway worker on her ordinary working day suddenly finds something that she was dreaming about when she was young.

A decoy is an assistant to a dog trainer whose task is to be both a provocateur and a victim. Dogs and their owners have different attitudes towards the decoy's task.

Sigurds operates a hundred-year-old lift in a large hospital in Riga, absorbing the sounds of daily hospital life while between floors. Meanwhile, in the adjacent shaft, a new, automatic lift is being installed.

In the snowy forest dwarfs are busy as Christmas Eve is approaching! Dwarf girl bakes gingerbread cookies and shapes one into a small man – Crispy. The little gingerbread man comes alive and is very curious. In the big world he will not only have fun adventures and face danger, but he will also discover the wonders of the Season...

A documentary on elderly Naivist painters in 90ies Latvia. These people find a lot of joy and harmony in their amazing creations even if they might not know a lot about the conventional art.

A lazy little bunny is awaken by a sudden hustle and bustle one spring morning. Going to the henhouse for eggs turns into a dangerous adventure. In order to save Easter, the little bunny has to overcome both - his laziness and fear, and to believe in the miraculous presence of the sun bunny.

Once you stand still, things will come up to you. (Gottfried Benn) Using tableau-like takes of different places of the Muscovite suburb (Moskatchka), a poor quarter of the Latvian capital Riga, the film shows fragments of the choreography of life and combines them to form a picture of reality. Without making any comments, the camera observes the people’s behaviour, which reminds you of the early Flaherty and how his camera “stuck to” his film heroes . It also reminds you of the beginning of film art when the recording of reality on a strip of film was an event, in spite of its accidental character.

Kaspars Kambala is one of the most prominent basketball players of his generation. He was a member of the Latvia's 2009 basketball team known as "Now or Never", and his harsh image and scandalous lifestyle have earned him attention in many situations. What lies behind Kaspars Kambala's scars, tattoos and this seemingly strong athlete?

A story about recklessness and risk. About dreams and people who change their destinies by following their passions. In this documentary, we follow Mārtiņš Sesks and Raimonds Strokšs – two reckless Latvians who believe that right here in Latvia we can reach the highest peaks in one of the most difficult sports in the world – motor racing.

It is a planet where there can never be more than one being at a time. If one arrives, the other must leave.

A little girl’s father has to go to London. The little girl and her toy rabbit would like to go with him. Of course that’s out of the question. Yet little girls aren’t into giving up and even the smallest suitcase proves big enough.

The chance meeting between Aspazija and Rainis in January 1894 changed not only the lives of Latvia's future royal couple of poetry, but also the lives of the entire Latvian people. This creative union gave birth to a new language and poetry, revolutionary ideas, and the demand for an independent state. Elza and Jānis' love story, full of twists of fate and difficult trials, is very intimate, poignant, and beautiful.

Andris Caune, Ojārs Grensbergs, Imants Grāvītis and Jānis Zemtautis spent many years in the Gulag camps. They survived. In 1954, a riot broke out in Jezkazan, Kazakhstan. The men’s camp and women’s camp joined together and held on for 40 days. Then came the tanks that killed more than 1,000 of them. Austra Vērpe met her future husband there. They were lucky to stay alive. The dream of the musician Zigfrīds Muktupāvels was to find the grave of his paternal uncle in far-off Kazakhstan. He was named after his uncle, who never came home. Zigfrīds and a cousin headed off into the steppes to look for a monument reading “Zigfrīds Muktupāvels.” The next round of deportations occurred in 1949, and whole families were sent to Siberia. Fathers were tried in court, a great many ended up in punitive camps in Vorkuta and Inta. Skaidrīte Jostmane and Māris Landers travelled to Vorkuta to find their father’s gravesite.

On the fate of the Livonian people in Latvia.