Anniversary evening and opening of the book. Director of photography Mikas Zvirbulis is 85 years old

Legend of the history of Latvian cinema, director of photography and Knight of the Order of the Three Stars Mick Sparrow will celebrate his 85th birthday on November 9 this year. In honor of the important anniversary and in honor of the outstanding personality, the Latvian Filmmakers Union and the publishing house “Latvijas Mediji” are organizing an anniversary event and a celebration of the opening of the book at the cinema “Splendid PalaceNovember 9th at 6:30 pm

Mika Zvirbulis’ anniversary evening at the “Splendid Palace” cinema will be hosted by a film critic Daira Aboliņa and the film “Klāvs – Mārtiņas son” (1970, director Olģerts Dunkers, director of photography Miks Zvirbulis, m / b) will be screened. According to Kristīne Matīsa, representative of the National Cinema Center, the film can be placed in the golden fund of Latvian cinema with a brilliant ensemble of actors (Waste lineElsa Radziņa, Līga Liepiņa, Lidija Freimane, Juris Kaminskis, Kārlis Sebris, etc.) and excellent photography, and the audience will have the unique opportunity to see the film in its original 35mm format in the presence of the cinematographer.

On the evening of the anniversary, the new book “Miks Zvirbulis. I am calm as a loaded cannon” published by the publishing house “Latvijas Mediji” will be officially inaugurated. Its author, director Brigita Eglīte, utilized Mika Zvirbulis’ excellent storytelling skills in the book and collected the cinematographer’s memories of her experiences during her long years of work at the film studio, her childhood and period of studio in Moscow, cooperation and adventures with national and foreign actors and directors. The book is richly illustrated with photos, complemented by an afterword by film historian Kristīne Matīsa, which marks Mika Zvirbulis’ special place in the history of Latvian cinema.

In 1961, Miks Zvirbulis graduated with honors (red diploma) from the Union State Institute of Cinematography, Moscow Film Faculty. He has made more than 40 feature films and documentaries, has worked together with outstanding Latvian directors – Rolanda Kalniņa, Jānis Streiča, Gunara Pies, Aloiza Brenča, Leonidas Leimanis and others; In 2018, the film “Four Balti Shirts” (1967, directed by Rolands Kalniņš) shot by Mika Zvirbuļis was screened in the “Cannes Classics” program of the Cannes Film Festival with a standing ovation. In 2015, Miks Zvirbulis received the National Cinema Award “Lielais Kristaps” for his contribution to cinema for life.

Miku Zvirbuli is well described by his own words: “If I had the opportunity to repeat something in my life, I would not choose another profession if only for one reason: I worked as a baker in an interesting environment and in a team, and at the at the same time it was also a hobby and a way of life “. Instead, Jānis Streičs writes in the book on Miku Zvirbuli: “God, by letting him enter the world, also put in his gift a considerable dose of self-irony and an attentive eye that sees not only what can be framed in a frame or in a photograph, but beyond: what was there before and what to expect from all this in the future. “