RIGA IFF showcases Diverse International and Baltic Cinema
The RIGA International Film Festival (RIFF) is currently underway, featuring a competitive program of nine films from Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Ukraine, and Sweden. These films vie for a main prize of a bronze statuette and 5,000 euros, selected by a jury comprised of French curator thibaut Brak, Estonian director Anna Hintsa, Latvian producer Alise Ģelze, Norwegian producer Gudnija Hummelvoll, and Kristiāns Žēns, head of the Film Department at the Cannes Film Festival.
Festival Creative Director Sonora Brock highlights the films’ focus on universal themes like identity, the meaning of life, and the afterlife, noting they “breathe with the world” irrespective of thier setting. the festival will screen a range of genres, including emotionally intense documentaries and action films, representing diverse cinematic styles. Screenings will be held at the “Splendid Palace” cinema.
Latvia is well-represented at the festival, with three films in competition. The Ābeli brothers’ animated film “God’s Dog,” a 92-minute co-production with the USA, is joined by the documentaries “Testament” by Jānis Ābeles, which follows a journey through Western Europe fulfilling a poet’s final wish, and “All birds sing beautifully” by Krista Burāne, a cinematic recording of Latvian folk songs and a study of bird population changes.Additionally,”Solomamma,” a co-production between Latvia’s Mistrus Media studio and Norway,will participate in the competition.
The festival also features strong representation from the Baltic Sea region.The Ukrainian-Lithuanian co-production “Special Operation” by Oleksiy Radinsky utilizes surveillance footage from Chernobyl to document the Russian military’s entry into the zone. Lithuania is further represented by Vytas Katkus’ debut feature ”The Guest,” a Karlovy vary Film festival award winner, and Šarūns Bartas’ “The Return.” from the Nordic countries, the festival will showcase “Solomamma” by Janike Askevolla, “Weightless” by Danish director Emilija Talunda, and “Guardian” by Swedish director Jon Skoog.
