Filming Begins for Director Alise Linde's Debut Feature "Ofēlijas"
On July 20, the shooting of the feature film "Ofēlijas" commenced. It tells the story of two teenage girls spending summer with their grandmother in Ķemeri, facing the challenges of growing up.
On Monday, July 20, the debut feature film "Ofēlijas" by director Alise Linde officially began production. The film is being created at the studio "Lokomotīve" with support from the State Culture Capital Foundation's target program, and is expected to be completed by autumn 2027.
The main roles feature actors Raimonds Vazdiks, Anna Marija Gruzdova, Ilze Reknere, and Kārlis Reijers, who won the LSM Audience Sympathy Award at last season's "Spēlmaņu nakts". Other cast members include Armands Avots, Aleksandrs Bricis, and others. Intimacy coordinator Māra Sleja is also involved in the production.
The story follows two adolescent girls: seventeen-year-old Mare and sixteen-year-old Lote. Mare has grown up without parents, while Lote has already experienced trauma. They spend the summer in Ķemeri with their grandmother Vija, who loves her granddaughters but is increasingly lost in a fog of dementia. As they lose their childhood innocence, the girls seek their place in the adult world, making risky decisions and engaging in destructive behavior.
Director Alise Linde, who studied film directing at Tallinn University and the Baltic Film and Media School and is currently pursuing a master's degree at the Latvian Academy of Culture, explains that the film portrays women of different ages all seeking understanding and love. She notes that harmonious families and life events can irreversibly change people. Grandmother Vija's life experience provides context for the girls' turmoil. The film also touches on women's rights, safety, and sexual violence.
Producer Eva Ansule emphasizes that society still rarely discusses adolescent trauma and self-destructive behavior, and the film offers a sensitive perspective without providing simple answers.
