Nine Latvian films to hit cinemas this autumn; season opens with animation “Laimīgie”

The autumn film season in Latvia will be rich in homegrown productions. Viewers can expect nine Latvian films, covering a wide spectrum of genres – from family animation and adventure stories to comedy, crime drama and historical thriller. Among the most anticipated titles is a long-awaited biopic about legendary basketball player Uļjana Semjonova, as well as a fantasy film unlike anything seen before in Latvian cinema. The schedule also includes a story exploring the phenomenon of bog bodies and a thriller set in late-1930s Latvia involving dangerous spy games. The diversity of themes and formats suggests that the coming months will offer Latvian film fans a broad range of viewing options.

The season will open with the family animation “Laimīgie” (“The Happy Ones”), directed by Edmunds Jansons, with its premiere set for 20 August. The plot centres on nine-year-old Elizabete, who goes to the Venezuelan rainforest with her family during school holidays. Having made new friends in the city, she is no longer drawn to life in the jungle, and she is especially reluctant to look after her little brother Leo. When their parents unexpectedly leave for town to see a doctor, Elizabete becomes absorbed in reading a book and fails to notice Leo disappearing into the mysterious jungle. To save her brother and a creature of an unseen species called Pūkainītis, she must dare to explore the secrets of the Venezuelan rainforest.