In this session Eurimages has supported the production of 40 feature films, six documentaries and three animated films, allocating a total of 10,816,000 euros to projects, with a total of 505,000 euros allocated to films related to Latvia. A list of supported projects is available here.
One of the projects supported by the foundation is a feature film by Estonian director Rainer Sarnet The invisible struggle/The Invisible Fight, co-produced by Estonia, Latvia, Germany, Finland and Greece, has a total budget of € 2,500,000, Eurimages allocation – 360,000 euros.
Director Rainer Sarnets is also known in Latvia for his previous film In November In autumn 2017, received the Riga International Film Festival (Riga IFF) and won a total of more than twenty international and national awards. In the movie The invisible struggle The director continues to create a unique visual world, and it will be a kungfu comedy taking place in an Orthodox monastery in the Soviet Union in the 1970s. For the film’s protagonists, kungfu is a way to overcome your personal demons – pride, arrogance and lust.
The involvement of the Latvian side in the project will be significant, as most of the film is planned to be shot in Latvia. Therefore, the Latvian side envisages participation in the creation of the film’s visuals (scenography and costumes), as well as in the creation of the film’s music. The film is made with the support of the National Film Center and co-financed by the Riga Film Foundation, it is planned as a co-production of five countries – Estonia (studio Homeless Bob Production), Latvia (White Picture), Germany (The Post Republic, Rapid Eye Movies), Finland (Helsinki Movies) and Greece (Neda Film).
The second project related to Latvia is a film by director Ineke Houtmane A book about everything/The Book of Everythingwith a total budget of EUR 1 900 000, Eurimages the allocation is EUR 145 000.
The film is a story about a little boy in his 60s, who lives in a strict, extremely religious family, where his father occasionally raises his hand to other family members because they long for the freedom that surrounds the rest of the world around them. Thomas is comforted by recording his feelings in the Book of everything and in the fantasy where Jesus comes to life and helps the boy gather the courage to face the aggressor.
The film is planned as two countries – the Netherlands (studies Cape Holland Film a Fatt Production) and Latvia (White Picture) co-production. It is created with the co-financing of the National Cinema Center.
Ineke Houtmane is an experienced director who has repeatedly screened the works of the popular writer Guse Kuijer in the Netherlands, including shooting children’s films. Polleke (2003) a Daisy (1998), once selected for the Berlin Film Festival and received awards at major festivals.
Probably the biggest star of the movie A book about everything The ensemble of actors is Katja Herbers, who is known to viewers from the series Westworld, Manhunt, Manhattan a The Leftovers. In turn, the Dutch production company Cape Holland Film a Fatt Production experience of many world-renowned projects – such as a studio Cape Holland Film worked as a minority co-producer in the film Dunkirk, which has received more than sixty awards.
White Picture is a new studio, founded in January 2020 by producer Alise Ģelze, starting her creative and professional work independently of the studio Film Mug. At this moment White Picture is working on Juris Kursieš’s third feature film Barbarians production, as well as work has begun on the development of directorial films by directors Armands Začs and Tīna Zariņa.
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