Riga premiere held for Viesturs Kairišs film "Ulya" about basketball legend Uļjana Semjonova
A closed-doors Latvian premiere of the Cannes-screened, Oscar-shortlisted film "Ulya" took place at Splendid Palace cinema, with wider release starting Wednesday.
On September 15, cinema "Splendid Palace" hosted a closed-audience Latvian premiere of director Viesturs Kairišs and actor Kārlis Arnolds Avots's feature film "Ulya." The film opens to the general public starting Wednesday.
The story draws on the biography of legendary basketball player Uļjana Semjonova, combined with Avots's idea about a teenage girl's search for identity. Set in the late 1960s, it follows the protagonist's journey from a remote Latvian farmstead to a world-class sporting career.
The screenplay was written by Avots together with Līvija Ulmane and Andris Feldmanis, the film was produced by Guntis Trekteris, shot by Polish cinematographer Wojciech Staroń, with production design by Ieva Jurjāne. "Ulya" already had its international premiere in the "Un Certain Regard" section of the Cannes Film Festival and has been submitted by Latvia for the Academy Award for Best International Feature.
Screenings with the creative team across several cities
After its cinema release, "Ulya" will be shown in several Latvian cities at special screenings where audiences can meet the creative team and hear behind-the-scenes stories. These take place on September 16 at Riga's "Forum Cinemas" and "Splendid Palace," and on September 19 at "Apollo Kino Rīga Plaza." In Cēsis, the event is set for September 18 at the "Cēsis" concert hall, and in Valmiera at cinema "Kino Gaisma."
Further screenings with the creative team are planned for September 20 at Rēzekne's "Gors" concert hall and the Viļāni culture house, September 21 at Daugavpils Culture Palace, and September 27 at Tukums Culture House.
"Ulya" is a co-production between Latvia, Estonia, Poland and Lithuania, made by studio Ego Media together with Estonia's Allfilm, Poland's Staron Film and Lithuania's Tremora.
Uļjana Semjonova died on January 8 this year at age 73. From 1968 to 1987 she led the Riga TTT club and Latvia's national team, winning the European Champions Cup eleven times. Playing for the Soviet Union national team, she became a two-time Olympic and three-time world champion. Semjonova was the first European inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
