“The festival is first and foremost a celebration. But, to tell the truth, there is neither strength nor desire to celebrate. Since Russia’s cruel and criminal war against Ukraine and the entire civilized world has been going on for the third year, we make our festival a bell that reports the threat to the world . Not all of these threats are blatantly obvious. Many problems are invisible and hidden behind the everyday. Perhaps that is why they enter our lives without being conspicuously visible,” says the International Documentary Film Festival Artdocfest/Riga President Vitaly Manskis.
“For our program, we have selected films from all over the world that are able to make us more attentive to threats, more attentive and stronger,” adds the well-known documentary film director, whose festival will take place this year from March 1 to 8 in Riga. In two competition programs – Baltic Focus and Artdocfest Open – there will be an opportunity to watch almost thirty intriguing documentaries. The audience is also waiting for three thematic programs – ArtDoc&ProArt, Ukraine above all and Peace in a time of war – and several special screenings, including a movie night with five documentaries and a DJ.
Witnesses of time
Artdocfest/Riga two Latvian documentary films will premiere. The festival will open on March 1 at 7 p.m. in the cinema Splendid Palace with directors Antra Cilinska and Anna Viduleja, a collaboration Potter about Potter. A witness of time, which tells about the outstanding Latvian documentary film director Juri Podnieka, who passed away too soon. Through interviews, never-before-seen diary entries, photo and film fragments, the viewer will have the opportunity to look into the twists and turns of creative personality growth and be present at important turning points in our not so ancient history.
On the other hand, on March 5 at 8:30 p.m. in the cinema Splendid Palace a documentary film directed by Ivars Zviedras will be shown Capracci. It is a story about physically and mentally hard workers – grave diggers. They do their job of standing over people as they mourn, and are the last hands to touch the shroud, burying the dead one and a half meters underground. Similar to other ancient professions, carpenters have inherited their knowledge and skills through several generations. It’s not just about digging holes, but also Latvia’s rich culture of graves, where everything has its own order.
Above all In cooperation with the art center Zuzeum the festival offers a program ArtDoc&ProArt. It includes films that tell about various manifestations of the creative process and can be seen as contemporary works of art in their own right, for example, the program includes a film about the fascinating life and work of the artist Sigrun Gunnarsdottir, allowing you to get to know one of the most important painters in the Faroe Islands today. This program will be shown in the art center Zuzeum on March 1 at 2 p.m. On the following two days, March 2 and 3, the other two thematic programs will be shown in the same place Ukraine above all and Peace in a time of war (all thematic programs can be watched for free by booking free tickets Zuzeum Homepage).
In connection with the murder of Alexei Navalny Artdocfest/Riga the organizers would like to pay special attention to the documentary film Russia against lawyers by the director Marija Novikova. “Civil society and the legal system in Russia feel strong state pressure. The filmmakers have documented the struggle of human rights lawyers for justice in the conditions of an increasingly suffocating dictatorship,” is the announcement of the film, whose director will come to Riga to present her powerful and emotional story about Russia’s crimes against human rights. The screening of this film will take place on March 3 at 12 noon in the art center Zuzeum.
Christmas tree
The closing ceremony of the festival will take place on March 7 at 7 p.m. in the cinema Splendid Palace. It will announce the winners of both competition programs. Their works will be displayed Artdocfest/Riga on the last day, March 8, at 6 p.m (Baltic Focus the winning film) and at 9 pm (Artdocfest Open winning film). On the other hand, the film of the Lithuanian director Artūrs Jevdokimovs has been chosen as the closing film of the festival The life and death of the Christmas tree, which tells about the amazing Christmas tree business between Denmark and Georgia. It turns out that the seeds of spruce cones are harvested in Georgia in the fall and then sold to Denmark, where seedlings are grown for sale throughout Europe. However, these fir trees tend to be up to 60 meters tall, and to reach the best cones, harvesters have to climb to the very top. Sometimes they lose their balance and fall. Is the multi-billion dollar Christmas tree business worth the lives lost to cone pickers? Screening of the film – March 7 at 7 p.m. in the cinema Splendid Palace.
It should be noted that until March 1 in the gallery CUB You can still have a look at Alberta Street 9 Artdocfest/Riga the exhibition of President Vitaly Manski. Using the possibilities provided by artificial intelligence, he has created twenty-nine extraordinary works of art. “Wanting to give the festival a particularly modern element, the idea was born to create these works based on the motifs of the films selected for the screenings of the competition,” says the author, whose works will be shown in digital format in the cinema on the opening day of the festival, March 1. Splendid Palace in the foyer.
More information about Artdocfest/Riga can read the festival Facebook page and Instagram account, as well as on the website www.artdocfest.com/lv.
2024-02-27 10:52:35
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