This nostalgically cinephiliac film brought Latvia its first-ever victory at the Tribeca Film Festival. The blazing drama is made particularly strong by aesthetic choices with dreamy Super-8 footage and allegorical reflections of historical events, which lead to deeply personal memories and honest experiences. The protagonists are authentically based on real personalities like the idolised director and documentalist Juris Podnieks, who inspired many to boldly test the limits of filmmaking until his own tragic death while scuba-diving.

“Sign Painter” Viesturs Kairiš returns to unveil his aspirations to become a film director in the Soviet Union just on the verge of collapse. The currently ongoing war in Ukraine may help us understand the context more credibly and conveys the feel of the emotional background of uncertain times in 1991.

19-years-old Jazis picks up a camera to fight for freedom and record truthful footage of occupant invasion to the Baltic countries. The insecure, but motivated rebel finds mutual attraction with kind-hearted Anna, which helps them find the needed romantic resistance. The multi-talented young Dailė theatre actor Kārlis Arnolds Avots delivers a haunting and captivating performance in the year of his discovery: his performance is radically different in “Lovable”.

Edvinas Pukšta