Directing
The documentary “Residents” probes problems in Latvia in general and Latvia’s medicine in particular with the story of two energetic young interns, Kārlis and Laura.
A film about events in Latvian history during the heyday of the women's basketball team TTT. Five people with different worldviews and life experiences suddenly find themselves locked in a room by artificial intelligence. Like a dispassionate moderator, it offers a harsh game: in order to return to reality, each person must prove their ability to distinguish truth from lies about Latvian history from the mid-1940s to the 1960s.
Alekss arrives at the Murjāņi sports school to become a champion. He’s introduced to the ironclad daily routine, which starts at 7 AM and ends at 8 PM, with practices twice a day and the rest of the time filled with lessons, exams and homework, just like at any other school. He has to wash his own clothes, make his own bed and clean his own room. The second hero of the film, Kristaps, has been living at Murjāņi for three years now. He takes part in the European Youth Olympic Festival, where everyone is strong but only a select few make it to the winners’ podium. Luck is not on Kristaps’ side in this case, and what he gets are only harsh reprimands and tears in his eyes. This slice of life at Murjāņi shows the difficult path to victory through sweat, tears and hard work.
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Latvian artist Miķelis Fišers, one of the brightest artists of his generation, leaves everything to go to Latin America to find inspiration for his creative work and disappears. His friend, film director Mārtiņš Grauds decides to search for him. The film reveals a moment of artistic creation. The filming crew has been looking for the artist in Peru, Mexico, Bolivia, Finland, Italy and Latvia.
They fell trees in the forest, work in brigades and live in trailers or empty apartments far from home. The work is heavy. During moments of respite, the loggers like to sit on the stumps and talk about life. And about women – those waiting at home, or those they imagine.
For many years, Saturday market in Skulte has been one of the main events of the week. The roles in the market have been carefully divided among the locals – there’s the pastor of the local parish, the bell-ringer, the pharmacist and the nearby residing sheepman, and it’s been long since it’s not just a customer-vendor relationship among them. Suddenly the owner of the market comes on the scene – he has decided to move it all to a new location, which so far has been known as an accident blackspot.
It's Latvia on the 20th of September, 2003 - the day of the referendum about joining the European Union. On the day of the referendum, twelve Latvian film directors of different generations portray twelve different characters across the country. Their life stories and environments affect their decision of voting “for” or “against”.
In the minds of people, Brussels is no longer a geographical location; it is now a myth-surrounded centre, where decisions are made regarding future life in Europe. The most brilliant minds from the European countries have convened in Brussels: former state leaders, highly-placed officials, advisors, translators and interpreters, as well as family members of all these people. Together, they comprise a sort of separate planet ruled by special laws and using new methods of communication; it is a place of a high concentration of power and all sorts of creature comforts. The anxiety following the 2016 attacks on Brussels has taken everyone by surprise, and the question whether to stay on Planet Brussels now comes up increasingly often. The Brexit news gave completely different kind of concussion to the commonly established center of Europe.
During Latvia’s centennial year, 15 filmmakers created each his own film portrait of a person living in Latvia on the background of centenary events. Documentary 2018 combines these stories into a unique poetic vision based on analogy with the documentary 235 000 000, a classic of the Riga school of poetic documentary cinema. This film is an attempt to make sure whether the codes of the poetic cinema are still relevant and accessible today.
A story of the journey to success of a young sportswoman who, with the support of her family and great determination, has already become the best Latvian skier of all time and is gradually moving towards her goal - to be among the best cross-country skiers in the world. The film documents the gruelling training, tough competition, sweat, tears and responsibility to her loving family. The film is about a woman who wants to reach the top and is willing to pay the ultimate price by dedicating her youth to the sports.
A group of children from the capital city of Riga arrive in the small border village of Ipiķi. The townsfolk immediately know that "they aren’t locals, they’re from the capital. You can tell by the way they dress.” The differences between the city and rural children are quite evident. While the country children nimbly climb trees, play games with knives and axes, and hide in their self-made tree house, the city children buy sweets in the town store, hoping to buy the goodwill of the local children. However, gaining entry into the tree house is not so simple.
Latvian children born in Ireland are a part of the nation that dreams in English, and marks a peculiar page of recent Latvian history. Although cannot be distinguished in Ireland from English speakers, they are "on you" in Latvian.
Inta is a brusque, crusty woman who lives alone on the edge of a picturesque marsh. One day her solitude is intruded upon by the arrival of a documentary filmmaker. In his eyes Inta is an outstanding would-be film protagonist but the wild woman would rather put a curse on the importunate intruder than let herself be filmed. But the filmmaker's persistence finally succeeds in melting the ice of Inta's heart... just in order to break it soon afterwards.
Sigurds operates a hundred-year-old lift in a large hospital in Riga, absorbing the sounds of daily hospital life while between floors. Meanwhile, in the adjacent shaft, a new, automatic lift is being installed.
The film begins with closing of the oldest prison in Latvia – the Brasa Prison was built in 1905 and cannot ensure normal functioning. Inmates are leaving the place that has long been their only home. Our protagonists reside in Ward 207. They have really inhabited it – there is even a fish tank in the ward! They are not from a different planet. Humanity of the inmates may contrast with their records of committed crimes. All have their small pleasures and big plans. All are longing for changes and being afraid of them. Likewise, the term of imprisonment is running out for several of our protagonists. They are getting ready for life at large. They know how to survive in extreme circumstances but are unprepared for living a normal life. One’s return to the big world is one of the most accentuated marginal situations.
A struggling actress, a teacher, a former seaman, a policeman and a veterinarian all have a common line of work – conducting funerals. For one it’s a passion, for one a duty, but for another it’s a chance to earn a little extra...
A young boy likes to play anywhere and anytime, with anything that is handy. A poetess plays with words, a composer with sound, and a filmmaker with images, the result of which is a cinematic poem that motivates the viewer to remember his Homo Ludens.
