“The topics submitted for this year’s competition were dominated by stories dealing with subcultures, cultural places, and the transformation of art in today’s Latvia, there were also many portrait stories. It must be admitted that so far the project has not had many topics about art, so the jury decided that this time the directors should be given the opportunity to show in their films an in-depth look at various art-related processes in today’s Latvia, as well as to study the importance of subcultures in various processes relevant to society. The five selected films will form a diverse representation of Latvia today from the point of view of children, young people, people with disabilities, artists, as well as animals,” says the project manager Zane Valeniece.
The following projects were supported in the competition:
- “Runcis”, director Andrejs Verhoustinskis, SIA “Studija Cetrums”.
- “Come out!”, director Žaklīne Zābere-Gāga, SIA “Air Productions”.
- “Wild notebook”, director Aleksejs Beļeckis, SIA “fon Films”.
- “Don’t draw better!”, director Toms Upītis, SIA “FTP Production”.
- “Bad animals”, director Ildze Felsberga, SIA “Bergmane Production”.
Annotations of upcoming films:
“Runcis”, directed by Andrejs Verhoustinskis
Poet, author of three collections of poems, Reinis Runcis, lives a creatively intense life, being confined to bed and in rare moments – also to a wheelchair. His life is not made any easier by the limitations of environmental availability. He communicates with friends and the world on the computer, which is his window to the “big life”. However, Reinis dreams – dreams of publishing poems in English, dreams of making his own interactive website, dreams of flying in a hot air balloon. The film will open the viewers’ eyes to the everyday life of a disabled person, while revealing him as a creative, mentally intense and unyielding person. The film will be a story about the relationship between our physical and mental bodies.
“Come out!”, director Žaklīne Zābere-Gāga
“Come out!” – that’s how he used to call the neighborhood kids when he was a child less than twenty years ago, to go together again on new day adventures in the countryside or right here in the city. Today, such history can still be found in the Baldones Street house and its yard, inhabited by those whose imaginations fly higher than the screens of smart devices. Here, boredom turns into exciting life games in which everyone gets involved – generations connect, traditions and unforgettable memories are created. The film will be a story about passing time and childhood, but at the same time also about what remains – creative people, strong ties and the promising future of Latvia. The filmmakers hope to catch the last moments before Jānis and Alice say goodbye to their childhood, as well as capture the special atmosphere that the two (and others) managed to create in the house on Baldones Street during the last years.
“Wild notebook”, directed by Aleksejs Beleckis (debut film)
“Savvalia” is a unique phenomenon on the map of Latvia’s contemporary culture – a place, an open-air exhibition and a series of events at the same time, which was started several years ago by the artist Andris Eglītis. It is where artists, musicians, poets and visitors gather every summer to wade through swamps and thickets, experience wondrous art and try to understand how to make life livable. Katrīna Eglīte, the young artist, grew up in this place. At the same time, the film will document a bright, visually gorgeous series of contemporary art adventures, as well as the young artist’s experience and reflection on events – concerts, exhibitions, conversations, people she knows. The “Savvałas” team wants to build this place as an innovative cultural space, where new experiences of art and the formation of collective consciousness are created, reviewing the possibilities of human, cultural and natural relations and cooperation.
“It’s better not to draw!”, director Toms Upītis
When a can of paint meets a facade, the reasons, just like the consequences, can be very different – from recklessly naive to maliciously vengeful. The film “Better not draw!” the viewer will be taken on a never-before-seen journey from behind the scenes of the beginnings of graffiti in Latvia in the 2000s to the present day, openly and shamelessly emphasizing that the protocol of an administrative violation for scratching on a wall is just a trifle that can happen to someone who decides to try a paint can for fun on the streets of Riga at night . Graffiti everywhere, including in Riga, is a mirror of the city, society and time. This film will be a look in the mirror, a meeting with people whose faces no one knows, but many would like to know. Characters with stories and testimonies about the most hated and misunderstood subculture in Latvia will convey their message of brutal reality to society’s desire to persuade young people not to draw on the streets.
“Bad animals”, director Ildze Felsberga (debut film)
People’s attitude and relationship with nature has become perhaps the most significant challenge of our age and generation. “Bad animals” will serve as evidence that everything foreign and different in us first causes fear, but when placed in a safe place – interest and admiration. The 26 minutes of the film will allow viewers to self-reflect and see each other in a new way, as well as the peculiar creatures living behind the glass. “Bad Animals” will invite you to be sensitive and understand what is especially important in these troubled times. The film will be a witty observation of the inhabitants and visitors of Latvian zoos in 2023, which will invite you to think about the world without separating glass.
The film projects submitted to the competition were evaluated by the jury: Zane Valeniece, the head of the “Latvijas kods. Latvija majų” project, Andis Mizišs, representative of the Film Art Sector Expert Commission of the State Cultural Capital Fund, Zane Balčus, the content editor of the “Latvijas kods. Latvija majų” project, Sigita Roķe, the editor-in-chief of LTV, LTV content editor Vikija Valdmane-Rozenberga, LTV Culture editor Ieva Rozentāle, public media portal LSM.lv cultural news editor Laila Burāne.
The new films will be shown on LTV in November.
About “Latvia code. Latvia today”
The contest “Latvijas kods. Latvija maženje” is being organized by Latvian Television in cooperation with the State Cultural Capital Fund and the National Cinema Center for the eleventh year. Its purpose is to support films that, in a short, concise and visually powerful way, allow us to understand unique topics, people and phenomena in today’s Latvia.
Films made in previous years can be watched in the public media content player REplay.lv, while on the portal LSM.lv films can be watched with English subtitles.
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