Riga 1991: Soviet special forces have been deployed in an attempt to supress Baltic efforts towards independence. Aspiring filmmaker Jazis is struggling with the start of adult life, with love's arrival on the scene, but also with the violence in his country that is increasingly on the rise. Wojciech Staroń's cinematography experiments with diverse analogue image formats, in a gripping, impassioned narrative that pulls the viewer in close to the plot using archival material and point-of-view shots from the protagonist's perspective, establishing an emotional connection to Jazis and the challenges he faces. JANUARY, which reads as a sort of homage to Baltic documentary film and filmmakers like Juris Podnieks, not only tackles themes such as politics, love, loss and the journey to self-discovery – it also treats the motif of dreams, and the price one pays to follow them.
JANUAR
LVA, LTU, POL 2022 / 97 min / OV + eng SUB
Language: Latvian, Lithuanian, Russian
Director: Viesturs Kairišs
Screenings
- Caligari FilmBühne Fr, 28.04. / 21:00 Uhr
- Apollo Kino-Center Sa, 29.04. / 16:00 Uhr
- Screenplay: Andris Feldmanis, Livia Ulman, Viesturs Kairišs
- Cinematographer: Wojciech Staroń
- Editor: Armands Začs
- Music: Justė Janulytė
- Sound: Jonas Maksvytis
- Cast: Karlis Arnolds Avots, Alise Dzene, Aleksas Kazanavicius, Juhane Ulfsak, Sandis Runge
- Producer: Inese Boka-Grūbe, Gints Grūbe
- Co-Producer: Małgorzata Staroń, Kestutis Drazdauskas
- Production Company: Mistrus Media
Riga 1991: Soviet special forces have been deployed in an attempt to supress Baltic efforts towards independence. Aspiring filmmaker Jazis is struggling with the start of adult life, with love's arrival on the scene, but also with the violence in his country that is increasingly on the rise. Wojciech Staroń's cinematography experiments with diverse analogue image formats, in a gripping, impassioned narrative that pulls the viewer in close to the plot using archival material and point-of-view shots from the protagonist's perspective, establishing an emotional connection to Jazis and the challenges he faces. JANUARY, which reads as a sort of homage to Baltic documentary film and filmmakers like Juris Podnieks, not only tackles themes such as politics, love, loss and the journey to self-discovery – it also treats the motif of dreams, and the price one pays to follow them.
