DocumentaMadrid
XV Festival Internacional de Cine Documental
Description
There is a popular Latvian folksong which begins with the phrase “I was singing out high on a mountain”. The irony of it is that according to physical geography, there are no mountains in Latvia. So where exactly is the place where Latvians are “singing out”? It may now be safely said that it’s the same place where they are skiing. That’s how we make mountains out of molehills... Snow-covered mountains, to be sure.
Awards and festivals
- Punto de Vista -Official Section (2013)
- Visions du Reel- International Competititon (2012)
- Vilnius Documentary Film Festival- Programme Competitition (2012)
- Kaunas International Film Festival- Identity (2012)
- Nordic Film Days Lübeck - Documentary Section (2012)
- Listapad Film Festival- Competition Documentary Film (2012)
- Filmmakers Film Festival (2012)
Biography of the director
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.
Image gallery
Finished
Sessions
May
Wednesday 9
- 17:30 h
- Filmoteca Española. Cine Doré Sala 1
Data sheet
Director
Laila Pakalniņa, ,
Language
Latvian - Subtitled in Spanish
Screenplay
Laila Pakalniņa
Cinematography
Uldis Cekulis, Valdis Celmiņš, Krišs Roziņš, Uldis Jancis,
Editing
Krišs Roziņš, Gatis Belogrudovs,
Production company
VFS FILMS