Bright and inspiring – LTV will premiere the cycle “Latvian Code. Latvia today »documentary short films / Article

“This year, unlike other years, we have pronounced portraits (all but one). There is indeed a human in the close – up, and through this one individual we are able to look at society as a whole.

The leitmotif of this year’s films is man and the environment. Through these portraits, we get closer to their space – both social and, of course, physical, spiritual. In my opinion, it says a lot about Latvia as a whole, ”

Zane Valeniece, the head of the Latvian Television Film Procurement Department and the curator of the Latvian Code project, talks about the Latvian Radio program “Kultūras rondo”.

The magic of the new set of documentary short films is that it slightly “pulls” out of the real environment and allows you to live in an alternative world, where everything is a little better, more beautiful and unambiguously calmer, says one of the authors – director Emil Alps. The curator of the project agrees with the evaluation and complements it: “The films are bright, inspiring. They are absolutely not aimed at portraying the pandemic. I think it is important to emphasize [tas]that movies in general were made during this time. The project hasn’t stopped, the movies are coming. [..] That’s great value. “

Asked to comment on how easy it was to get to the current line-up of short films, Valeniece replies: “It’s never been easy, never in any year. The goal, of course, is to encourage filmmakers to look for what’s in Latvia today. find codes and topics that are less reflected in the “Latvian Code”. “

The most difficult thing is to choose really different works – so that the selection will reach a wide audience – but there is no shortage of news topics from year to year.

The cycle “Latvia’s Code. Latvia Today” will be opened by director Kārlis Lesiņš’s documentary “Vējture”. In the center of the story, Katrīna is a typical city dweller who has lived in Mangaļsala all her life and whose biggest passion is horses. Next week, the story of director Zane Gargažina “You should not be afraid of me”. It will tell the story of a man named Dagnis, whose life was irreversibly changed by a serious accident thirty years ago. Although Dagni had to learn to live with disability and insomnia as well as loneliness, he tries to remain an optimist.

On December 14, a teenager Ruslan will be at the center of Paul Dombrovskis’ film “Run” – a talented pianist who is becoming too narrow in the remote Latvian town of Staicele, so he has to go to Riga to develop talent and study.

One week later – on December 21 – in the film “Man of the Renaissance” by director Emil Alps, we will meet Kaspars Putriņš, who builds medieval musical instruments that are very rare in Europe, deals with sound directing and studies events in nature, space and man.

It should be noted that this is not the first time that the Alps have captured the world of music in a film. In 2019, Kristaps the Great was received his screenplay “Choir. Conductor. While” is about the creative path of the youth choir and conductor Aivis Gretters towards the Tolosa International Choir Competition.

“The theme of the music in the cinema seems to me to be really unique and exciting, and one that is very enjoyable, enjoyable to watch. At least for me personally, these are the two closest art forms and their overall synergy, synthesis, is something really beautiful.

[..] The field of possibilities is really huge, “the director shares his convictions.

The series of short documentaries will end on December 28 with Laura Ābele’s film “Mierjemā” (translated from Liv – to be by the sea). The film documents a very diverse population of Latvia who lives, works and spends time on the shores of the Baltic Sea.

Interviews with the authors of all films will be available on the public media portal LSM.lv.

Next year will be the tenth for the “Latvian Code”. The creators of the project hope that in January it will be possible to announce a competition again to offer the audience regular documentary stories in November 2022.

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