Directing
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Afterword for the film "Homeland" - January 1991. Death of Andris Slapiņš and Gvido Zvaigzne.
The last film of Juris Podnieks, it is dedicated to the memory of cameramen Andris Slapins and Gvido Zvaigzne, who died tragically during the shooting by OMON forces in the center of Riga in 1991.
The film portrays the political situation in occupied Latvia 37 years ago, when writer Imants Ziedonis formed a group of like-minded peers into ‘’Dižkoku atbrīvotāji’’ – DAGi. Film reels and photos of the time show Imants Ziedonis and the DAGi participants – Māra Zālīte, Anna Žīgure, Roze Stiebra, Andris Buiķis, Vitolds Kucins and others. Today, with their contemporary experiences, they reflect on a time when the dream of an independent Latvia seemed impossibly far away. We’re Still Here reminds the younger generations that it’s possible to do good in the name your nation and its future not matter the circumstances.
Director Zigurds Vidiņš has been following Lidija Lasmane-Doroņina for more than 10 years with his camera. She was arrested in 1946, 1970 and 1983 by the Soviet regime, spending a total of 14 years in prison, her only crime: the dream of an independent Latvia. Thanks to Mikhail Gorbachev’s perestroika she was released from prison in May 1987. In 2010, Lidija Lasmane-Daroņina celebrated her 85th birthday, and On the Way of Light was released at the same time.
Latvia's history from the occupation in 1940 to the declaration of independence in 1990 is too complex to be reflected in black and white terms. One of the most prominent figures of this period is Eduards Berklavs. A high-ranking member of the Communist Party with an impeccable past, in the mid-1950s he began fighting against the policies implemented by his own party in Latvia.
The film is based on the idea that each person is the forger of his or her own happiness. The film starts with the subtitle: "If a man is destined to live 75 years, he has 2.4 billion seconds to live". The film shows young people on the beach, at café tables, on a carousel, listening to the radio, dancing hippie-style. A sculptor working with clay and stone is shown alongside young people's lives.
An experimental documentary on environmental issues, based on chronicles. Reproductions of Salvador Dali's paintings, footage from Pumping Iron (1977) with Arnold Schwarzenegger. The film shows the process of salmon spawning and the brutal human intervention to extract the eggs. The film features a recording of a concert by Polish musician Czeslaw Niemen. Awarded at UNICA and other film festivals.
