On May 7, the Latvian premiere of the film “Manny” by director and producer Dace Pūce, which has been co-produced by Latvia and India, will be performed at the Splendid Palace cinema.
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The film is announced as a psychological science fiction thriller, which was fully filmed in Latvia and can be proud of its international cast. Manni has won eleven international awards in the United States, India and the United Kingdom, and premiered in November 2020 in Italy at the 74th Festival Internazionale Del Cinema Di Salerno.
“Manni” is a story about an Indian who came to Latvia to write an autobiographical novel, but is captured by the relationship between real, imaginative and artificial intelligence. The main roles are played by Sonala Segala (India), Tony Hawkins (UK) and local actors – Darta Danevich, Yuri Djakonov and Marta Grase.
“The film tells the story of our addiction to artificial intelligence and human passion. Its relevance has grown right now, in the post-Covita world, as our dependence on devices has become much greater. I hope no one will have to experience what the film’s protagonist is experiencing. but at the same time we are very close to such a situation, and it will no longer be fiction, but reality, “says the director Dace Owl.
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In the world of cinema, it is relatively rare for women to direct science fiction thrillers, but Dace Pūce has done so and even received the European Cinema Award for Best Director. Asked how this co-production came about, the director says: “Sonala and I studied at the New York Film Academy, and I had very good contact with him.”
Sonala adds: “Over the years, we have kept in touch and shared our creative intentions. We were looking for an opportunity to start a joint project, and finally, eight years later, I had a scenario that I thought was the perfect opportunity to start working together.” However, some obstacles also had to be overcome. “One of the film’s original investors insisted that I invite a male director. His argument was that it was a science fiction thriller, not a female-oriented film. Why choose a female director? I refused to accept that logic and decided to look for alternative ways. to fund this film, “says Sonala, who is not only the lead actor and screenwriter, but also the producer of” Manni “.
“This is the first Indian-Latvian co-production film. Our professional team was able to film the entire feature film in 12 days, which is very short (compared to an average of 30 days for a full-length feature film),” says Kristel Pudane, the film’s producer. “This was possible only due to the very meticulous planning, which was done perfectly by the director’s first assistant Ruslan Fradkin together with the executive producer Renata Baroni, and the united work of the whole team on the filming field. only private funding has been used and we would not have been able to film the film in the quality it would have been without our supporters, “admits producer Kriste Pudane.
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The film was fully filmed in Latvia, but post-production took place during the Covid-19 pandemic, when Indians and Latvians joined forces to complete the film online. Manni has toured around the world, winning awards in various categories and festivals: Best Director (European Cinema Awards), Best Science Fiction Film, Best Cinematography, Best Supporting Actor and Best Composer (Miami International Science Fiction Festival), Best International film (Rajasthan International Film Festival), best screenplay (British Asian Film Festival).
The film’s composer Naresh Kamat (India) is the founder and soloist of the world-famous Sufi group Kailasa. The cinematographer of the film is Gatis Grīnbergs, the artist is Katrīna Kalniņa, the editing director is Jurģis Ločmelis, the costume designer Ilze Grickus, the make-up artist Ivanda Šmite, the lighting artist Toms Ločmelis, the executive producer Renāte Barone, the filming site manager Anita Kalve. The film was produced by Dace Pūce (“Marana Productions”), Kriste Pudane and Sonala Segala.
“Manni” will be shown in Latvian cinemas from May 7.
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