Kaspars Braķis

Movies

The Goat Who Climbed to Heaven
Director of Photography
This film is a story about that time in the Baltics, Latvia, and Riga. Young rebels of 1960s – nonconformists, hippies and beatniks – have turned into a generation of well-known writers, poets, musicians, directors, as well as politicians of the new independent Latvia. The ones who were 18, 20, or 25 in 1960s are half a century older today. The protagonists of the film are united by the bohemian gathering place of their youth, a small nameless cafe in the Old Town of Riga, commonly referred to as “Kaza” (The Goat). This place is surrounded by legends, myths and humorous stories.
Seekers
Director of Photography
This film probes the activities of the bezvests.lv NGO that looks for missing persons and instructs others on how to find them. Since they started in 2009, they’ve helped find more than 90 people who had gone missing. It follows volunteers during training and on a search mission – theirs is a nerve-wracking task as in many cases they only locate the expired body of the missing person.
Blueberry Spirits
Producer
Blueberry Spirits is a poetic documentary about a Roma family that spends its summers in the Latvian forests, picking berries to make a living. While harvesting the fruits of the forest, they reflect on their identity as a group by sharing ghost stories.
Blueberry Spirits
Director of Photography
Blueberry Spirits is a poetic documentary about a Roma family that spends its summers in the Latvian forests, picking berries to make a living. While harvesting the fruits of the forest, they reflect on their identity as a group by sharing ghost stories.
soulcash
Director of Photography
Elina Maligina’s film soulcash gives an insight into emotionally charged and climactic, but brief moment in the life of a woman who is going through menopause. The story is about the purification through psychological change that happens at this point rather than the physiological one.
The Formula of Happiness
Director of Photography
Imagine centuries ago several witches huddled around a steaming cauldron, gleefully consigning offensive items to the foul-smelling brew. Maggots, worms, snails – who knows what else? Perhaps unbelievable, but it did help. This is a story about people who practice their own way of feeling fit and happy. A hunter is convinced that beaver glands offer a unique remedy against various ailments. Herbal teas, picked at the right time, can perform miracles! Many shrink away from bees, but bees can bring relief. All good and simple things, forgotten in the rush of the 21st century.
Easy Peasy
Producer
Andris Dambis – car builder and living auto sport legend - talks about persistence, courage, and his desire to be the first. The first off-road vehicle, the first electric car taking part in the Dakar Rally, the first electric car built in Latvia.
Easy Peasy
Director of Photography
Andris Dambis – car builder and living auto sport legend - talks about persistence, courage, and his desire to be the first. The first off-road vehicle, the first electric car taking part in the Dakar Rally, the first electric car built in Latvia.
Failed State. Are We?
Director of Photography
A film examining the game of doubles of democracy and capitalism since the restoration of independence in Latvia. Freedom from the USSR, pilfering the state, victory in Eurovision, joining the EU and NATO, the greatest crisis in the world – a quarter century of contrast and challenges.
The Tourist
Director of Photography
I was nine years old when my mother took me away from home for the first time – to Leningrad. For those of us behind the Iron Curtain, this was a Big Trip. Later, I couldn’t remember anything I had seen or done except for a large, colourful tourist bus from Switzerland – the only object with which I wanted to be photographed. That bus symbolized the world for me – large and beckoning, full of travel and adventure. Now I am 35 and I’ve been to 39 countries. 20 years of wandering around the world with a camera makes one wonder – why on earth do I want to travel?
The Future is the Present of the Past
Director of Photography
A tragicomedy about the actions of four youths during the 10th Latvian parliamentary elections, and in the 100 days afterwards. Each represents a different political party and set of beliefs. In a time when Latvia is dominated by political nihilism, this film explores the political ideals of young people and their motivation to work towards a better future for their nation – through their hopes, work, victories and disillusionment.
Darbaļaužu balets
Director of Photography
The European championship football madness, drunken "experts" at the provincial stadium, the backstage of National team, raving fans at the streets of Paris and Lisbon. Football is a sport and entertainment through possibly there is more to the game. In the film "Working Class Ballet" philosophers, linguists, neuropsychologist and football coach are contemplating on the parallels between football and drama of life, forming an unusual tale on what football is or could be.
The Three Failures
Camera Operator
A fairy tale about communism, social-democracy, and capitalism. (The sequel to Wandering Marxwards)
Kā es braucu ziemeļbriedi lūkoties
Camera Operator
Unbroken
Director of Photography
A documentary about Latvian partisans ("forest brothers") who were fighting against the Soviet occupation long after the end of WWII.
eu
Director of Photography
It's Latvia on the 20th of September, 2003 - the day of the referendum about joining the European Union. On the day of the referendum, twelve Latvian film directors of different generations portray twelve different characters across the country. Their life stories and environments affect their decision of voting “for” or “against”.
Ciems tuvu debesīm
Director of Photography
Nāves eņģeļi
Director of Photography