Discoveries from Latvia World Cinema

Struggling against the totalitarian regime of occupied Soviet Latvia, a talented young doctor is stripped of her career, her joy for life, and even her maternal instincts.

Gertrude is a forty-year-old woman. She is lonely and lives in a one-room apartment. She works at a public lavatory. One night, a spider bites her. Gertrude gains superpowers: super strength and ability to weave a web, yet she does not understand how to deal with these new-found abilities. The relationship between the spider and Gertrude reminds of destructive relationship between a man and a woman.

The story of Aivars Ritenieks, a father and a coach, brings together a passion for sports and a passion for family. He is determined to raise his sons to be Olympic athletes. Boxing is their life. They must fight many fights with the corruption in sports, bureaucracy, envy and ill wishes, the demons of their past and themselves. He’s a fighter who stands up against all odds and refuses to give up his principles... What is the price of victory?

Latvia is home to almost one fifth of the world’s population of the lesser spotted eagle, yet their number is endangered. Uģis Bergmanis is one of Latvia’s best-known ornithologists, and he does his best to save the eagles in Latvia. He also has another passion – he hunts wolves. He can sit for hours in freezing temperatures until meeting his prey eye to eye. There are many stories in this man. And some of them are going to be told.

A runaway bride, a young peasant, mysterious illusionists and a manic investigator become entwined in a murderous affair at a Baltic German baron's manor.

This film is a story about that time in the Baltics, Latvia, and Riga. Young rebels of 1960s – nonconformists, hippies and beatniks – have turned into a generation of well-known writers, poets, musicians, directors, as well as politicians of the new independent Latvia. The ones who were 18, 20, or 25 in 1960s are half a century older today. The protagonists of the film are united by the bohemian gathering place of their youth, a small nameless cafe in the Old Town of Riga, commonly referred to as “Kaza” (The Goat). This place is surrounded by legends, myths and humorous stories.

The narrow, sandy strip of the seashore is a neutral zone that belongs equally to the sea and the mainland. This zone possesses an unusual chracteristic, namely, it attracts people with a practically magnetic power, transforming the beach into something like a playground where the old and the new, the primitive and the civilised, the traditional and the modern all coexist.

Karlis Preiss, a member of the Latvian parliament, wakes up one morning only to discover that he's become entangled in a massive scandal, all because of what he had initially considered a harmless TikTok video interview.

"In the world of the fly," says biologist Uexkull, "we find only fly things. In the world of the sea urchin we find only sea urchin things." This is the Colonel’s story and here you will find only Colonel things.

In 1986, Juris Podnieks made his film "Is it easy to be young?". The film became extremely popular and very soon was shown in 85 countries, which was a tremendous success for a Latvian film. It was even regarded as "the first bird of Perestroika". In 1998 the follow up film was made. It was extremely interesting to find out how the new economic system after the fall of the Soviet regime in Latvia had changed the lives of the persons filmed 10 years ago. "Is it easy to be...? After 10 years" also got an international recognition. The question 20 years later was- does anything change in this world or perhaps there are things that never change?! What has become of these brave youngsters who had once helped to destroy the Soviet system and who are now the generation of forty?

Andris Dambis – car builder and living auto sport legend - talks about persistence, courage, and his desire to be the first. The first off-road vehicle, the first electric car taking part in the Dakar Rally, the first electric car built in Latvia.

A film about everything changing while remaining the same. Or rather – everything remaining the same while changing. We observed this (and wanted to share) while standing (standing regularly and for a long time) on a road rather close to the Eastern border of Latvia, because we followed the suggestion of the locals who asked to shoot “that horrible road”.

Ecological criminal intrigue during the international billiard tournament in Riga.

The film is about alienation in human relationships. The man is looking at photographs, drinking and thinking about something. Then the woman walks into the woods, the man watches her.

Tomorrow, later.. there is always a reason to push everything to a later time. But tomorrow comes so soon...

Gutenmorgen is an eccentric family man who tends to see his life in bright colours. In order to improve his failing eyesight, Gutenmorgen decides to open a third eye. Gutenmorgen begins mediating with a self-proclaimed guru and hopes that this unconventional activity will make his family and friends appreciate him just a little bit more.

The story of Cīrulīši - a tight-knit family down on their luck, and their trials and tribulations during the Christmas season.

Estere spends her days by the sea selling ice cream. Trying to find peace, she listens to meditation podcasts and self-help books. Meanwhile, strangers caressed by the summer sun look for the same in tarot cards, alcohol and the Bible. Estere starts to imitate overheard conversations: stuck in positive self-verbalization, she repeats it until she believes it.

In the near future of 2012, the government asks for each citizen to have 30 Lats on their credit card. Anybody not having this amount of money is deemed to be maliciously poor and arrested.

The children who were sent to Siberia in 1941 have not seen their fathers – in their memories they recollect: “My father was arrested, he was sent to Vyatlag camp. He died there in March, 1942. He was not convicted. Father was tried in the autumn of 1942, when he was already dead, Moscow Troika verdict: 10 years in prison and confiscation of property...”The railcar moves along overgrown rails. For 70 years, the twelve participants of the journey have wanted to go to the places from where their fathers did not return. Among the harsh nature the tension on their faces shows.

The Hijacker lands the plane at the Rīga Airport. 7 year-old Tom, travelling on his own, voluntarily becomes a hostage. Along with the traditional demands, the Hijacker adds the demands of the little hostage – beginning with some local chocolate and a self-instruction tape for learning the native language, and ending with organizing a Song Festival and a special biathletes’ performance – all ideas originating from a CD on Latvia.

After his wife kicks him out of the house, an elderly, anti-social and quite conservative man Arvīds decides to reconnect with his grandson by staying with the boy and his mother. Not keen on their lifestyle, the old man tries hard to accept all the eccentricities of the young and liberal. Fortunately for him, a warm-hearted friend of Arvīds’ ex-daughter-in-law is always around to help and he seems to be a natural when it comes to children and other stubborn people. When Arvīds finds out that the young man is gay, he decides he has had enough. Often, life is not that much about finding your place, as about learning how to share that place with others. This short film is a light and playful experience, looking into the definition of “normal” that varies so strongly from generation to generation.

A modern tale about a girl, a dragon, and a prince - who likes her only when she has the right shoes on.

A dreamlike cinematic collage exploring the life, times and choices of the Russian avant-garde theatermaker Vsevolod Meyerhold. An innovative artist becomes a tool in the hands of the socialist revolution.

A group of boys go on their daily adventures while also facing many dangerous situations.

Based on the popular book by Andris Kalnozols, this is the story of Oskars, who lives in a provincial town with his mother, loves an idealised dream girl, and is gifted with an exceptional memory and imagination. On his way to independence, he gathers a motley crew of companions and has all kinds of adventures.

This creative documentary tells the story of women in art – what she has to sacrifice in her personal life and what choices have to be made in order to gain success in her career. The film explores life of artist, by following theatre director’s Mara Kimele's fighting relationships with her despotic grandmother Anna Lacis (widely known as Asya, whose life is closely tied to the names of Walter Benjamin and Bertolt Brech), cynical son Peteris (who is played by an actor) and work while she stages F. Dostoevsky's “Crime and Punishment”. Every character of film is an act. But does that make them any less real? And what is real in the world of art? Apart from its human character's, the film also has an animated one – the horse, who came into life through the first letter Mara wrote to her grand mother and has been following her ever since.

Casual encounter or not? When a young man meets an old man, the generation conflict between them leads to unusual events.

A story of a Latvian family making tentative plans to return to Latvia. Ģirts, a doctor working in Denmark for nine years, receives an invitation to set up a professional practice back in Latvia – a welcome opportunity, as he would like to look after his parents better. But things aren't as simple as that, and his family is divided over the issue.

Small town resident Valters breeds his pigs and sings in the local church choir. His childhood secret however, prevents him from integrating in the community. After the death of his father he tries to establish contact with Aija. This is not the beginning of an ordinary young couple’s love story.

What happens in the eyes of a 100-year-old filmmaker? Rolands Kalniņš, one of the great masters of Latvian cinema, sits down to have his photo taken and looks straight in the lens. Kalniņš’ life has spanned an authoritarian regime, a world war, long years under Soviet occupation and censorship, and retirement in independent Latvia. His films have been censored, destroyed, found and restored. But here, like Herz Frank once did with a child, for ten minutes we shall observe the micro-emotions of a man who has dedicated his life to film. Confronted directly by the tool of his trade, the camera. As we face Kalniņš eye to eye, we hear the sounds of his present, and the memories of his past.

Wedding rituals and a love triangle.

Mia, an obedient daughter of a piano teacher, challenges her mother’s patience as she grows up and learns more about the life outside her room together with a boy next door. This coming-of-age story, entirely shot from a fixed top-down perspective of Mia’s room, depicts short snippets spanning 16 years of a girl’s life. What begins as a simple daily life of a child slowly turns into a dramatic teen experience, culminating in a decision that took all these years to come to.

Valmiera is a town in Latvia. Valmiera’s Boss’ favourite car has been stolen, and his cousin, who has been in charge of guarding it – shot. The toughest member of the Valmiera gang – Mārtiņš – has been ordered to deal with this mission in the rival town of Liepāja. Little does he know, that the initiator of this mess is right there within their own gang.

Based on true events that took place in the vicinity of Līvāni in 1945 after Soviet re-occupation. Catholic priest Antons Juhņevičs, serving in the Vanagi parish, hid local men on church premises so they could escape conscription into the Red Army. Finding himself in conflict with the ruling power due to his convictions, he was forced to take a radical step.

This film probes the activities of the bezvests.lv NGO that looks for missing persons and instructs others on how to find them. Since they started in 2009, they’ve helped find more than 90 people who had gone missing. It follows volunteers during training and on a search mission – theirs is a nerve-wracking task as in many cases they only locate the expired body of the missing person.

An experimental short film, made as a cinematographic exploration of the female body in space.

Exactly 60 filmmakers were selected and asked to carry out a task that seems simple at first glance; to make a short film that is approximately 3 minutes long. However, how to capture the future within the merciless limit of three minutes? Whose future – the personal one, the national one, the global one, or perhaps the future of film? Here is Laila Pakalnina´s answer.

Historical reenactment of preparation in Nov. 17 and proclamation of independence of Latvia in Nov. 18, 1918 and in epicenter is only taken photograph of this historical moment.

Four friends—Ēriks, Muļķis, Jogurts and Džindža—set off on a road trip to Tukums, where they encounter a cast of odd characters (the Madman, the Bride, a hunter, even a King). Along the way they inadvertently become chicken thieves, crash a TV show taping and tumble into a series of increasingly absurd adventures.

Folded, rewritten, thrown away, wrinkled, crossed out, stuffed in a pocket, handed to the book keeper, only to find out later that it was the wrong one; then written down, torn out, worn out, sometimes crumpled up, with morning coffee stains. The film’s protagonist walks around the pulp mill with jagged movements, performing his duties. “I doubt we’ll meet again. I really do,” he repeats to himself, addressing the void.

The parents have gone away, so the two sisters - Marta and Linda - need someone to take care of them. Their dictatorial spinster aunt Una, who desperately wants to get married, arrives to take on this job. Marta really wants a puppy, but her plan is ruined, as her aunt has a strong dislike for dogs. So, the relationship between the girls and Una becomes really tense. Until the perfect plan of the sisters emerges - to get rid of the aunt by helping her to get married.

When strange events in the countryside happen again, Tintin thinks that it's happening what happened 2 years ago - a staged New Year's Eve massacre.

Lara tries out the experiences of other characters, but she only finds the key when she looks into herself, starts doing the thing she loves the most: art. She begins to love herself, her experiences, connecting with the world she was looking for.

Astra works in a library and dreams of love. Her life is a series of daily worries and setbacks. But some Tinder clicks bring a new lease of life and a challenge to explore herself. Will Astra find what she is really looking for?

A dialogue between a mother and her son.

Several very different characters – a pioneering physicist, an acclaimed minimalist composer, an intensive care doctor and a crematorium director – each in their own way find a strikingly similar answer to the cliché question: what is the universe made of? According to them, the ultimate source of reality is essentially empty space, which spontaneously manifests what we call matter in a magical display.

A film about the daily life of Martin, a handicapped child who will always be dependent on his parents. Ever since he was very small, Martin has had to get around in a wheelchair and has needed the constant help of an adult. Martin’s parents, Inga and Andris Skesteri, tell about their life, about their son’s character and about their hopes for the future.

Erik lives by night. He works in a nightclub and occasionally dresses up as a woman to rob rich clients. One day Erik's father arrives uninvited. It's a surprise visit that brings out memories of complicated childhood.

A portrait of Alexander – a man only 130cm tall, who surprises people around him with his great drive and achievements.

TUR [ There ] - drama about relationships in virtual an physical world - blending boundaries of both worlds.

A world-famous boys' choir goes on a tour. In the hands of their severe conductor they are an obedient musical instrument. But left alone without supervision, they are just playful children. Once in Seoul the conductor is accidentally trapped in the elevator, and the boys are left alone.

The film is based on true events leading up to the historical 2013 resignation of Benedict XVI. After succeeding John Paul II, and serving as Pope for eight years, Joseph Ratzinger shocked the world by becoming the first Pope to voluntarily resign in over 600 years. In light of moral and ethical upheavals in the Catholic Church, and the unique challenges of the 21st century, Ratzinger's cited reason of declining health raises more questions than it answers.

A historical drama about an attempt to steal the entire Latvian national wealth deposited abroad by Wilhelms Munters, the Latvian Foreign Minister in the forties.

Oskars lives in a typical sea-side village, but wants to break free of his father’s rule and the old ways – he dreams of new, large nets, an ice-cellar, and the fishermen’s independence from the fish wholesaler. At first, no one wants to believe in Oskars’ plans, except for happy-go-lucky Fredis. With the help of Fredis, Oskars builds a new fish trap, gaining admiration from even the old fishermen.

Gints, a quiet young man, becomes the housekeeper of Emilia, an aging composer consumed by anxiety ahead of the last concert of her career. Their uneasy relationship hides a truth Emilia could never expect.

Alicija (33), a Polish-born liberal free-thinker, joins the Awakening movement in occupied Latvia. Her newlywed husband Ilgvars (53), a man with the experience of another generation, calls her to be more careful and cautious. With the support of a close friend, the poet Normunds (40), Alicija soon comes to the forefront of the Singing Revolution. However, alongside the first success, difficulties appear – Alicija receives an anonymous letter accusing Ilgvars of being a former KGB informant. His ambiguous answer leads to her wanting to find out the truth. Realizing that her husband’s actions in the KGB have affected the fate of her close friend, Alicija faces an unenviable choice. Torn by internal contradictions, she continues her work to restore the country’s independence, unable to find courage to resolve the situation. Alicija buries herself in her work and the emotional connection with her husband gradually fades away.

Seven versions of Riga, the city on the Baltic Sea, and its features as seen by outstanding European film directors: Sergei Loznitsa (The Old Jewish Cemetery), Ivars Seleckis (On Ķīpsala), Audrius Stonys (Riga Boats), Jaak Kilmi (Littering Prohibited!), Jon Bang Karlsen (Cats in Riga), Rainer Komers (Daugava Delta), and Bettina Henkel (Theatre Street 6).

A love triangle - a terminally ill university teacher, a blind girl and a young bard. In the background of it all - the wild arrival of the capitalism, political conflicts, city life and the beautiful nature of Latvia. In the end love will conquer everything, though not everybody will live to witness that.