Ivars Seleckis

Ivars Seleckis

History

The director of the film is the classic Latvian documentary filmmaker Ivars Seleckis (1934), one of the founders of the legendary Riga school of poetic documentary film. Seleckis started his career in film in 1958 as assistant cameraman at the Riga Film Studio. In 1966, he graduated from the Moscow Film Institute as a professional cinematographer and made his debut as a documentary director in1968. A large part of Ivars Seleckis’ filmography belongs to the canon of Latvian filmhistory, including his Crossroad Street (1988), winner of three of the world’s most prestigious documentary awards. Now in his eighties, Seleckis is still busy making newfilms ‒ despite having received the Lifetime Contribution Award of Lielais Kristaps National Film Festival as he was marking his 80th birthday.

Profile

Ivars Seleckis
Ivars Seleckis

Movies

The Land
Director
Through six very different families, documentary “The Land” shows the variety of the countryside in the 21st century, the contradictions of countryside living as well as illusions about farmer’s life. There are various reasons why our protagonists chose to live in the homesteads, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Some were done with spending too much time in an office, traffic and living a virtual life, they wanted real, tangible things. Some have moved to countryside by their own choice, but some by predisposition of their families. But what unites them all - they aspire for the stability provided by their own land and house. Together with our protagonists, we will spend one year’s cycle of farmer’s life, that will start with the spring sowing and finish with the autumn harvest and land preparation for the next year.
Bridges of Time
Himself
At the beginning of the 1960s, when the French pioneers of cinéma vérité set out to achieve a new realism, and when direct cinema in Québec began to vie for notice, the Baltics wit-nessed the birth of a generation of documentarists who favored a more romantic view of the world around them. This meditative documentary essay – from a Latvian writer and Lithuanian director whose composed touch has long dovetailed with the stylistically diverse works of the Baltic New Wave – pushes adroitly past the limits of the common his-toriographic investigation to create a portrait of less-clearly remembered filmmakers. The result is a consummate poetic treatment of the ontology of documentary creation. Also a cinematic poem about cinema poets.
To Be Continued
Director
The To Be Continued documentary follows lives of five children throughout their first school year. Kārlis's family is firmly rooted in the Latvian countryside. Gleb's grandparents came to Latvia only in the Soviet period. Zane's family are first-generation urban-dwellers. Anastasija's family moved from the city to the countryside. Anete's mum lives and works in England. The film explores how these choices made by adults are reflected in a child's thinking.
Over the Roads, Over the River
Director
Seven versions of Riga, the city on the Baltic Sea, and its features as seen by outstanding European film directors: Sergei Loznitsa (The Old Jewish Cemetery), Ivars Seleckis (On Ķīpsala), Audrius Stonys (Riga Boats), Jaak Kilmi (Littering Prohibited!), Jon Bang Karlsen (Cats in Riga), Rainer Komers (Daugava Delta), and Bettina Henkel (Theatre Street 6).
Capitalism at Crossroad Street
Director of Photography
This is the 3rd film in almost 30 years about the daily lives of the people living in this small street of Pārdaugava. We first met them in the late 1980s when the Soviet Union was on the brink of collapse. We visited them again in the wild 1990s. And now we meet them in 2013, again in a whole different world.
Capitalism at Crossroad Street
Director
This is the 3rd film in almost 30 years about the daily lives of the people living in this small street of Pārdaugava. We first met them in the late 1980s when the Soviet Union was on the brink of collapse. We visited them again in the wild 1990s. And now we meet them in 2013, again in a whole different world.
In the Shade of the Oak Tree
Director of Photography
The story of rural people in 2004 - at the time when Latvia joined the European Union. A thorough study of the situation in rural Latvia over the course of the last thirty years, where the conflict between the familiar and the new, and desire and opportunity has fostered creative thinking in farmers looking to be masters of their own land. In the film we see a German farmer who bought property in Latvia; the head of a large parish; a family of young former citizens; eco lifestyle supporters - soybean growers, including an organic farm and its owner who takes a loan from a bank for the first time.
In the Shade of the Oak Tree
Producer
The story of rural people in 2004 - at the time when Latvia joined the European Union. A thorough study of the situation in rural Latvia over the course of the last thirty years, where the conflict between the familiar and the new, and desire and opportunity has fostered creative thinking in farmers looking to be masters of their own land. In the film we see a German farmer who bought property in Latvia; the head of a large parish; a family of young former citizens; eco lifestyle supporters - soybean growers, including an organic farm and its owner who takes a loan from a bank for the first time.
In the Shade of the Oak Tree
Director
The story of rural people in 2004 - at the time when Latvia joined the European Union. A thorough study of the situation in rural Latvia over the course of the last thirty years, where the conflict between the familiar and the new, and desire and opportunity has fostered creative thinking in farmers looking to be masters of their own land. In the film we see a German farmer who bought property in Latvia; the head of a large parish; a family of young former citizens; eco lifestyle supporters - soybean growers, including an organic farm and its owner who takes a loan from a bank for the first time.
Comeback
Himself
Uldis Brauns' conversation with Ivars Seleckis about films and time.
New Times at Crossroad Street
Director of Photography
Ten years have passed since we made the film “Crossroad Street”, about a small street in the suburbs of the city of Riga. Now we’ve come back. Perhaps it was a sense of duty, perhaps nostalgia that brought us back – who knows? Perhaps it was both. Daiga, Aldis, Osis – they’re all our people. The first film had an impact on both the filmmakers and the residents of Crossroad Street. We found friends whom we want to meet again and again. Society has become more prosperous, several value systems coexist side-by-side. People often live in these systems as though they were in different worlds that never meet. We felt that the world inhabited by our people is sinking into oblivion, and so we wanted to show that it still has its own turbulence, that Crossroad Street resembles Latvia’s palm – the place where a fortune teller can see the lines of its destiny.
New Times at Crossroad Street
Director
Ten years have passed since we made the film “Crossroad Street”, about a small street in the suburbs of the city of Riga. Now we’ve come back. Perhaps it was a sense of duty, perhaps nostalgia that brought us back – who knows? Perhaps it was both. Daiga, Aldis, Osis – they’re all our people. The first film had an impact on both the filmmakers and the residents of Crossroad Street. We found friends whom we want to meet again and again. Society has become more prosperous, several value systems coexist side-by-side. People often live in these systems as though they were in different worlds that never meet. We felt that the world inhabited by our people is sinking into oblivion, and so we wanted to show that it still has its own turbulence, that Crossroad Street resembles Latvia’s palm – the place where a fortune teller can see the lines of its destiny.
Nāc lejā, bālais mēnes!
Director of Photography
A documentary about farmers in Latvian countryside.
Nāc lejā, bālais mēnes!
Director
A documentary about farmers in Latvian countryside.
Zolitūde
Cinematography
Zolitude is inhabited mainly by immigrants. An extremely denational environment, a disorderly everyday life, depressing standard type architecture - these are the problems faced by the film's characters.
Zolitūde
Director
Zolitude is inhabited mainly by immigrants. An extremely denational environment, a disorderly everyday life, depressing standard type architecture - these are the problems faced by the film's characters.
Crossroad Street
Director of Photography
Crossroad Street is a small street just 800 metres long on the outskirts of the Latvian capital, Riga. Its various inhabitants, each with his or her own destiny, daily life and relationships with the neighbours, form a microcosm of the country during the time of the Awakening. The genuine interest of the film's creators in the so-called average person earned a number of international awards, including a European Film Award for best documentary in 1989.
Crossroad Street
Director
Crossroad Street is a small street just 800 metres long on the outskirts of the Latvian capital, Riga. Its various inhabitants, each with his or her own destiny, daily life and relationships with the neighbours, form a microcosm of the country during the time of the Awakening. The genuine interest of the film's creators in the so-called average person earned a number of international awards, including a European Film Award for best documentary in 1989.
Amber Latvian - 87
Director of Photography
Joyful, humorous and slightly ironic look on the daily life in Soviet Latvia in 1987.
Maestro bez frakas
Director of Photography
The composer Raimonds Pauls, the artist of the USSR People's Stage, shares his thoughts on life and work. The authors focus on the difficult daily work of a talented artist.
Maestro bez frakas
Director
The composer Raimonds Pauls, the artist of the USSR People's Stage, shares his thoughts on life and work. The authors focus on the difficult daily work of a talented artist.
Sieviete starp diviem romāniem
Director of Photography
Sieviete starp diviem romāniem
Director
Wanted: A Man
Director of Photography
A sequel-of-sorts to "Sieviete, kuru gaida?", where the authors focussed on the role of a woman in society. Now their turning their focus on men.
Wanted: A Man
Director
A sequel-of-sorts to "Sieviete, kuru gaida?", where the authors focussed on the role of a woman in society. Now their turning their focus on men.
Short Tutorial on Loving
Director of Photography
The Woman Who is Awaited?
Director of Photography
A film about a woman's role in the society.
The Woman Who is Awaited?
Director
A film about a woman's role in the society.
In the Shadow of a Sword
Director of Photography
Mirror of Thirst
Director
The degradation of a human under the influence of alcohol.
Motorcycle Summer
Director of Photography
On his 18th birthday, Māris receives a motorcycle from his parents, and, while driving around with his friends, they pass a wedding car. The bride, Inese, is entering a loveless marriage, so she allows Māris to "steal" her from the wedding reception.
From Centaur
Director of Photography
Reportage about competition for draft horses which turns into cinematographic parable about people’s desire to achieve the impossible.
Apcirkņi
Director of Photography
A documentary about farmers in the Latvian countryside.
Apcirkņi
Director
A documentary about farmers in the Latvian countryside.
Your Payday
Director of Photography
Soviet Union's routine explained through the life of common people.
The Girls of Valmiera
Director of Photography
The Girls of Valmiera
Director
A Catch
Director of Photography
Frescoes of Kuldīga
Camera Operator
A Latvian poetic documentary about the town Kuldīga.
Year in Review
Director of Photography
Filmmakers of Riga poetic documentary school, Freimanis and Seleckis, were designated as the creative core for this documentary to be shot in honour of the 25th anniversary of the Soviet Latvia. The team was joined by the heavyweight poet Imants Ziedonis and Herz Frank as script writers. Instead of one of the old, merited, medal rattling ‘combat camera- men’, “Year in Review” is an unusually vivid and unique film for the time. The creative team were awarded the State Prize for the film.
The Coast
Director of Photography
A poetic documentary observation of everyday life in a Latvian fishing village, where centuries-old traditions and wind-hardened men and women live alongside the optimism of new construction and the smiling faces of the new generation.
The Send-Off
Director of Photography
While shooting a documentary about a 'Komsomol' class who all went to save a struggling kolkhoz, the filmmakers also shot mud, broken tractors, flooded fields. The film turned scandalous and was not screened, because of it allegedly being anti-Soviet: defamatory of collective farming.
My Riga
Assistant Director of Photography
A Soviet propaganda short about Riga and the people of Riga in their twenties.