As a child, Lelde studied at Riga Choreography High School, where what she learned is still reflected in her stately and feminine stature. Later, when she was almost a child, at the age of 13 she studied at the Tautas Film Actors Studio under the guidance of excellent teachers, directors Aina Matīsas, Arnolds Liniņas and movement consultant Erika Ferdas. He continued his acting training with these teachers at the Theater Faculty of the State Conservatory of Latvia, graduating in 1982 from the 7th studio of the Daile Theater together with his subsequent colleagues from the Harija Spanovski theater, Gundar Āboliņa, Ligit Skujiņa, Jāni Jarān , Mār Zvaigzni, Andri Morkān, Juri Frīnberga, Gunta Grīva and others.
In the 1990s, he changed his theatrical career by working in the field of advertising and public relations, where he still continues his work in a sense, serving on the board of the European Latvian Association, but before that managing the sector. cultural.
A cat that always falls on all fours
“Unhappiness is a door that opens to a new happiness”, is how the actress herself describes the turning points in her life, which others would call a crisis. She had enough strength to change her beloved acting profession for other creative pursuits.
Lelde has many examples of how to turn the less in life into an advantage. At one time, the whole country was shocked by the photographic story of the birth of Lelde’s son Rudolph in the most popular magazine of the time, “Liesma”. It turned into a public scandal. So far, no one has publicly shared such candid and private images. “At the time many thought it was our initiative and self-promotion – mine and that of Aivars Krancmani, my first husband, but the reality was very different. The images were intended for us, but above all – for the dissertation of our doctor, Caunes gynecologist. However, the photographer, our then friend and trustworthy person, Uldis Paže, also decided to give birth to the photos of “Liesma”. We opposed, we talked to the people of the magazine, we asked them not to publish, but they did not answer, they did not remove even the most sincere photos. I was very angry, people were saying bad things about us, it was painful … But after a while I found that under the influence of this photo campaign, more The babies started being born in Latvia, and although this fact is difficult to measure, I somehow calmed down, because it seemed like a very nice side effect to me, “recalls Lelde.
Another example is from the period in which the actress had just left the Daile Theater. “It was the 1980s and the New Riga Theater show -” The Old Lady’s Visit “by Friedrich Durrenmatt, which Swiss director Markus Zohner invited me to participate in. He taught master classes in Latvia for several years. that it was Claire Cahanasyan, an old lady “, Lelde is happy and explains:” If I hadn’t left the Daile Theater, I would not have met the director Mark Coner, who has become a very important person in my creative life. when I had to quit my job at the advertising company “Baltic Outlook”, I went to Paris. And that’s where my relationship story began … “
Lelde Vikmane is convinced that all things that happen unexpectedly and shock always show a new perspective as well: “They lift you up, you enter a different light, because when you are thrown, you have wings … I have always been a cat, falling out of four. “
Art and music
Traditionally, Latvian television and the program “Good luck, jubilee!” gives excellent art books to their guests for their birthdays. For Lelde – the monograph “Romans Suta” on an artist from the times of the Latvian Free State, who once, like Lelde now, traveled extensively in different countries, getting to know the world. “I also have some paintings by artists of the time, Suta-Strunke’s colleagues, Vidbergs. And my husband will be very interested too – he’s also a bit of an artist,” Vikmane strokes the cover of the beautiful edition in gratitude.
Not only art, but also music is close to Lelda, but above all it is linked to the desire not to lose the Latvian in France. “Since 2013 I have been singing in the Latvian French choir” Latve “, and it’s wonderful! We even held a concert at the Musée d’Orsay!” Lelde says excitedly. “There was a wild fashion show and the audience didn’t expect us to start singing. Everyone thought we were visitors to the show, we weren’t in folk costumes and nobody knew we were a choir. Vaira Vīke-Freiberga was also in the audience ! “
Not only Latvian women sing in the choir, but also French who are married to Latvian women, says Vikmane: “Including my husband. And now there is also a French woman who is not married to a Latvian, but wanted to sing in Latvian. and participate in the Song Festival. “
“For that boring Pauline”2 minutes
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French men and Lelde’s definition of masculinity
“The French unlike the Latvian men?” – Laughs Lelde, wondering after the ironic question, what is the difference between the stronger sex of Latvia and France. “The French have different ways, they are more warm-blooded. Often they are good actors, including my husband – I think he would be a very good actor. I myself like intelligent men. Beautiful, no. Kindness and strength – this, in my opinion. , characterizes masculinity “.
Lelde’s husband, Eric de Dreuzy, was the director of internal control of the French airline “Air France” for many years. It seems that he is gifted not only with acting skills and wisdom, because now, being retired, he has dedicated himself to writing, which is connected to the history of the de Dreuzy family. “Erik’s ancestor, a great friend of Peter I, a Frenchman, once lived in Latvia. And this ancestor helped Peter I conquer our Riga,” says Lelde. “My husband is writing a book about Livonia from the Swedish to Russian times. And about his family.”
Lelde herself also speaks to her husband in French, although the first conversations took place in English: “At that time I was working at Baltic Outlook, there were still no direct flights from Riga to Paris, I had to fly via Warsaw or Berlin. I called Air France for a job assignment and I made a mistake with the number: my current Eric, then director of internal control at “Air France”, answered the phone. He had a very pleasant voice, we started talking. And in somehow, contact was immediately established, “recalls Vikmane of the fateful meeting.
Theater art studio 72 minutes
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Herald of Latvian language and culture
“Garā pupa” is a Latvian school in France, where Lelde has been teaching Latvian for several years. “Russian children and children from mixed families also studied there. And I was also a Latvian language teacher at the Paris Institute of Languages,” explains Vikmane.
Last year, Lelde also participated in dictation in the world Latvian language. “I wrote it while I was in Paris. It is a great pleasure and I thank the organizers of the dictation. As the head of the cultural branch of the Latvian European Association, I have especially encouraged others to write this dictation,” says passionately Lelde and promises to write the dictation again this year. “By the way, the number of writers abroad is also growing every year, because the dictation texts are very interesting – the last time the author was Aivars Eipurs. His” Blues of Little Pickles “was an exciting piece! “
Asked about the results, Lelde says he doesn’t mark the dictation, but “corrections have been sent. I made four mistakes last year, seven more in previous years.”
In the year of the Song Festival, Lelde was the creator of the “Savij Latviu vainagā” campaign, this year she led the Esslingen Song Festival. “There was a huge number of participants, about 900 people from all continents. And I don’t know the number of spectators at all. For four days in Esslingen only the Latvian language dominated. Theatrical performances, the big closing concert, the procession – everyone was sweating in folk costumes, because it was very hot – over 30 degrees! It was great! There are 120 cultural groups in Europe – dance groups, choirs, theaters, schools – working in Latvian. There are also foreigners in there, as in our choir, French. And this is very important, because they are all cultural Latvians and messengers of the language, “says Vikmane. However, he admits that there are things that sadden him: “Where there are Latvians, there are also disputes. Unfortunately, envy also appears in the European Latvian community. No matter how sad it is, it is a fact. We should be happy about it. successes of others, then it would be better “.
The cinema of today and always
Lelde is still happy to answer the directors’ invitations for small roles in the cinema. “I shot in Viestura Kairis’ next film” Janvāris “- about the time of the barricades. I remember well the events of those times, the Baltic road holding hands: we were standing on Brīvības ielas, between the Russian dramatic theater and the old cinema “Aina”. So – how long ago! – with my first husband, Aivars Krancmans, and my son Rudolph. Rudolph was 6. And Elina Garanca’s brother stood beside me and shook his hand. I don’t. I did. I don’t know then, but he wrote me later, “Vikman smiles.
Vikman reveals that her favorite film role is the charming girl with no text in the film “Because of that boring Pauline”: “This is not my first, but my favorite film – so good that I even suggested translating it into French. . My first role was probably 1976. year, at that time I was still a student, I attended the tenth grade of secondary school 49. It was an episode of the movie “Rally” directed by Alois Branch. At that time the director treated me to the soup okrosku – the cold kefir soup, which I just didn’t like. It was in the restaurant “Tallinn”. We talked about the artist Ingres and about art, because my episode was shot at the Art Museum “.
The role in “Dull Pauline …” was “not only an ace in the hole, but also a curse, because from that point on I was invited only to the roles of beautiful women. I myself didn’t think I was beautiful – I had a broken nose, a scar above the eye from the age of 4. While studying at the dance school, where there were so many very beautiful girls, I suffered from complexes and when I started my acting career, I was surprised to be suddenly pointed out as beautiful “.
Across the Soviet Union, Lelde became famous with the lead role in Gennadiy Zemel’s film “Vayadzīga soliste”, which, by the way, was shot in Saulkrasti, as well as with the six-episode film by Alois Branch ” The Old Sailor’s Nest “.
Read more about film and theater roles, the challenges of studying and cooperating with great actors, the Vikmani family’s roots in Latvian sailing and Swedish Vikings – in the program “Good luck, jubilee!”
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