On January 11, the Danish Cinematheque in Copenhagen opened a program of Latvian films entitled "Latvia: Then and Now / Letland. Før og nu", which includes four films made in Latvia. The program will last until February, two screenings are planned for each of the four films. The Latvian Embassy in Denmark, the Danish Cinematheque and the National Film Centre of Latvia cooperate in creating the program.
Four Latvian films have been selected for screenings at the Cinematheque, which highlight the diversity and historical contexts of Latvian cinema, - the feature film January (2022) by director Viesturs Kairišs, the feature-length animated musical My Love Affair with Marriage (2022) by director Signe Baumane, the first feature-length film by director Elza Gauja Keep Smiling, Mom (2021) and the classic of Latvian documentary cinema - director Juris Podnieks' world-famous film Is It Easy to be Young? (1986).
The film program was opened by the screening of director Viesturs Kairišs' film January, which was introduced with speeches by Latvian Ambassador to Denmark Inga Skujiņa and Danish Cinematheque program editor Jesper Andersen, while the head of the National Film Centre of Latvia, film scholar Dita Rietuma briefly outlined the development paths of Latvian cinema.
The screening of the opening film January was complemented by the exhibition of the Danish photographer Stig Stasig - photographs taken in January 1991, during the barricades in Riga, which surprisingly and effectively met both the Copenhagen audience and the film January, in which the chronicle, historical evidence and documentary are essential.
The Latvian film program will continue with Signe Baumane's popular animated film My Love Affair with Marriage, which has already been screened at more than 100 film festivals worldwide (screenings on January 12, 21:30 and January 21, 19:00), the classic Juris Podnieks film Is It Easy to be Young? (screenings on January 16, 16:30 and January 20, 17:00), Elza Gauja's comedy Keep Smiling, Mom (screenings on January 17, 20:00 and February 6, 17:00); at the end of the program, another screening of the film January will be offered (February 16, 19:45).
All information - on the website of the Danish Cinematheque HERE.
The film program is organized by the Embassy of Latvia in Denmark and Ambassador Inga Skujiņa, Danish Cinematheque and curator Jesper Andersen, in cooperation with the National Film Centre of Latvia.