Films by Viesturs Kairis January the world premiere in New York will take place on June 10, while Signe Baumane’s film My marriage project will premiere on June 11th. In addition to eight other works, these films have been screened at an international competition International Narrative Competitionfor which films with “outstanding style and content” were selected.
The Traibeck Festival in New York is one of the world’s most important film festivals, founded at the beginning of the 21st century by actors Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hackoff. The festival once aimed to revitalize cultural life in the Traibeck area of New York’s Manhattan after the September 2001 terrorist attacks and “provide a whole new experience for filmmakers from around the world as well as viewers.” Since its inception, the Traibeck Festival has become one of the most prominent festivals in the world. So far, no Latvian feature film has been shown in it.
Directed by Viestura Kairiša January is a story about 18-year-olds who are involved in the January 1991 political events in Riga. The heroes are far from any political life, but the circumstances put them at the crossroads of politics and history.
“I was 19 years old in January 1991, so I know the heroes and events of this film very well. At that age, I fought for my personal freedom while the Latvian nation fought for freedom from the totalitarian strangle of the USSR. The war in Ukraine shows that Latvia’s struggle is not over “It’s still the first month of the year,” says Viesturs Kairišs.
Movies January The team consists of cameraman Voiceks Starons, artist Ieva Jurjāne, costume designer Rūta Lečaite, makeup artist Ilze Trumpe, composer Juste Janulīte. The producers of the film are Inese Boka-Grūbe and Gints Grūbe (studio Mistrus Media). The film is a co-production of Latvia, Poland and Lithuania.
The young actors Kārlis Arnolds Avots, Alise Danovska and Sandis Runge, as well as actors already experienced in the field of cinema, Baiba Broka, Artūrs Skrastiņš, Lauris Dzelzītis, Imants Strads, Kaspars Dumburs, Estonian actor Juhans Ulfsaks and . The movie January It is planned to be shown in cinemas in Latvia at the end of 2022.
Latvian director Signe Baumane working in New York My marriage project/My Love Affair with Marriage is a full – length animated film for adults.
“My marriage project begs the eternal question of what love is, how to find and keep it. Through the stories of the protagonist Zelma, I explore how our feelings and emotions are formed and how biology affects them,” says the director. “This is my most ambitious film to date – it has 30 talking and singing heroes! It’s a great honor for me to be selected for the Traibeck Festival competition program, but it’s also a little scary – everyone knows how selective the audience here is. “I hope that viewers will enjoy the film about the Latvian Zelma and her rough path, trying to find the real love. It is also my opportunity to tell the New York public about Latvia’s recent history during the Soviet era – in the context of recent events .
The film tells the story of a young woman’s love for Zelma, which involves mythical sirens teaching her to seek an ideal marriage. However, the idea of this is inevitably shattered when a woman’s biology, with its hormonal and neuronal signals, affects her behavior and emotions, shaking the foundations of marriage. According to the website of the Traibeck Film Festival, some people spend their entire lives wondering why it has failed to maintain a relationship, but Signe Baumane is determined to find an answer, resulting in an animated film that combines both ancient mythology and modern neuroscience.
Laura Čaupale has recorded Zelma’s voice in the version of the film that will be screened in Latvian cinema, other roles have been played by actors Guna Zariņa, Ģirts Ķesteris, Kaspars Znotiņš, Zane Daudiņa, Regīna Razuma, Madara Botmane, Juris Kalniņš, Katrīna Pasternaka, Edgars Samernītis, Edgars Samgītis the others. One of the roles is Linda Leen. 23 songs sung by a trio of girls Lemonade.
Latvian viewer Signe Baumane is known for her provocative animated short films and feature films Stones in my pocketswhich, like My marriage projectcreated in collaboration with producer Robert Vinovski in the studio Locomotive.
The Traibeck Festival will take place from 8 to 19 June. A documentary will be shown at the opening Halftime. It’s Just the Beginning about American singer and actress Jennifer Lopez.
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