The Riga International Film Festival (Riga IFF) started in Riga on October 15 with a very large film program from all over the world. Elsewhere in the world, Latvian films and Latvian co-productions are widely shown this autumn. Among them, the performance of the Environmental Film Studio is especially noteworthy – two very interesting co-production projects that travel through festivals in different countries.
One of them is cooperation with Lithuania and France – Giedre Žickīte’s documentary “Leap”, It is included in the program of the Rome Film Festival, which starts on October 16. Further, the film’s paths will lead to four more important European and overseas festivals.
The other is cooperation with Italy – a documentaryI was born Rosellini, Which premiered at the Venice Film Festival and will be shown in almost 200 Italian cinemas at the end of October.
“It was Venice in the summer, now let’s take Rome! Those Italians already teach me, not to brag, but to speak glamorously, as they used to, ”says Uldis Cekulis, the producer of the Environmental Film Studio, with a little smile. It is a bit unfortunate that neither the Latvian team – although invited – is allowed to go to the premiere at the Venice Film Festival, nor now to the premiere in Rome, because due to intensive work it is not possible to sit in quarantine for two weeks afterwards.
The Rome Festival will be the second to screen the Lithuanian, French and Latvian co-production film “Leap”. Its world premiere was on October 9 at the Warsaw Film Festival.
The film is directed by Ģiedre Žickīte, and the film tells the story of Lithuanian sailor and fugitive Sima Kudirka. His attempt to escape took place in 1970, when Soviet and American vessels met off the coast of America to discuss fishing rights in the Atlantic. While the talks were in full swing, Sims Kudirka jumped on board the American ship in her desperate freedom.
The Americans extradited the fugitive to the Soviet Union, causing outrage in the world’s media.
The movie “Leap”
Photo: Publicity image
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The film itself features 90-year-old Sims Kudirka himself, using eyewitness reports, reconstructions of historical events, as well as rare archive footage.
Uldis Cekulis says: “The film is rich in these materials. Our greatest joy is that it will be a unique story about our own neighbor boy then or a man in his early years, about Sima Kudirka, who made this historic leap from a Russian fishing vessel to an American security cutter and released him back. And what I am even more pleased about, in terms of content, we are very connected here, because the Latvian sailor, a former fugitive to the West, was on that American ship, and he reported this extradition fact. In essence, the Latvian saved the Lithuanian by announcing this fact, and then all this spinning of the world’s information space began. That was, in my opinion, the decisive factor in why Sima was advocated and survived. ”
After screening in Rome, the film will travel to festivals in the Czech Republic, Germany, Estonia and America, where it will be screened at America’s largest documentary film festival, DOC NYC, which Uldis Cekulis is especially pleased about.
He emphasizes: “It is a great honor to be there, we have never had a film at this festival. It is such a quality mark also from overseas for our film. Because it is very difficult to conquer the American market. And, very importantly, the presidential election in America, and this film has, of course, a very strong political edge that touched on immigration issues.
In the film, one of our characters is Henry Kissinger, who is still alive, [bijušais ASV] Secretary of State. He managed to arrange an interview with him three years ago.
He no longer gives interviews at all. It was unique, and I am very happy that our Valdis Celmiņš filmed this interview. They flew to New York for two days. It is also, as they say, a strong team effort. ”
Cameraman Valdis Celmins says that his filming of former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger is most associated with his admiration for Lithuanian director Giedrius Žickīte, who succeeded in this interview. throughwhich was an extremely difficult task.
Purely personally, Valdis Celmiņš was pleased that he could take his father to New York and both of them could experience very special events,
Valdis Celmiņš reveals: “Mr. Kissinger had thrown some patch of soup on the shirt that day, and his secretary washed and ironed his shirt while we waited for him. It was such a good hour, and my father and I bought tickets to Porzig’s game in New York. And it is clear that at that moment for me these two great forces, which are put together – Kissinger on the one hand and Porziņģis and the father on the other – then it was clear that it was a very dramatic moment when you realized that everything was starting right away, and also the time of congestion, you have to go through all of New York. ”
Celmiņš also points out – incredibly strong memory for Kissinger:
“After so many years, he can remember very accurately not only a particular political event and how he was manipulated and used at the time, but also humanely – that he is able to remember specific characters who have participated.”
In Latvia, Ģiedre Žickīte’s documentary film “Leap” will premiere on November 27 at the international festival “ArtDocFest / Riga”.
The second big project, which was made for the Environmental Film Studio as a collaboration with Italy and which tells about the family of the legendary director Robert Rosellini, will most likely be expected in Latvia next spring.
This film, shot by the famous director’s grandson, premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where it was accompanied by long standing eras. From October 26, a film called “I Was Born Rosellini” will be shown in about 170 cinemas in Italy.
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