There are places we don’t want to know anything about, places we would rather pretend don’t exist at all. One such place is a dumpsite. From the humans’ point of view, it is a ghastly place, a stinking desert of trash. But it’s a desert that is teaming with life. The astounding profusion of insects, reptiles, birds and mammals, all intertwined in an existential life-death relationship imparts it with a strangely alluring, dream-like quality.
- Pravo Ljudski Film Festival - Special Programme (2017)
Laila Pakalniņa
Born in 1962 in Liepāja, Latvia. In 1986 she graduated from Moscow University’s Department of TV Journalism. She continued her studies in the Department of Film Directing at the Moscow Film Institute (VGIK), graduating in 1991. Laila is the director and scriptwriter of 21 documentaries, 5 shorts, 3 features.
Features: Silence (Klusums) 2009, Stones (Akmeņi) 2008, Fire (Uguns) 2007, The Hostage (Ķīlnieks) 2006, Water (Ūdens) 2006, The Python (Pitons) 2003, The Shoe (Kurpe) 1998, Anna’s Christmas (Annas Ziemassvētki) 1992.
Documentaries: Snow Crazy (Sniegs) 2012, 33 Animals of Santa Claus (33 zvēri Ziemassvētki vecītim) 2011, On Rubiks’ Road (Pa Rubika ceļu) 2010, Three Men and Fish Pond (Par dzimtenīti) 2008, Theodore (Teodors) 2006, Dream Land (Leiputrija) 2004, The Bus (Autobuss) 2004, It’ll Be Fine (Būs labi) 2004, Martins (Mārtiņš) 2002, Papa Gena (Papa Gena) 2001, Wake up (Mostieties) 2000, The Oak (Ozols) 1997, Ubans (Ubāns) 1995, The Mail (Pasts) 1995, The Ferry (Prāmis) 1994, The Church (Baznīca) 1993, The Pilgrimage (Iešana) 1991, The Linen (Veļa) 1991, The Dome (Doms) 1991, The Choice (Izvēle) 1990, And (Un) 1988.