Dzintars Krūmiņš

Movies

Cold Bodies Pile High
It’s 1919. The war is raging in Latvia and bodies pile high. A young rifleman’s (Thomas, 30) cold body is placed on a floor inside a mysterious sculptors' studio. Thomas wakes up with his head locked inside a cast and tries to find a way out from the dark room, but soon enough realizes that he is not the only one, who has woken up. The Ghost mother, a pagan goddess of death, tries to pull the young man into the afterlife. Meanwhile, the sculptor places Thomas’s death mask next to the others.
Before The Day Breaks
Director of Photography
When the daughter of the Sun and the Moon is stolen, desperate parents call people to get their baby back. Helpers are given only three days: if at that time, the Sun's daughter will not be found, she will lose her strength and become an ordinary girl. A journey of danger and adventure, which teaches everyone not only to be brave and resourceful, but also helpful. The Latvian animated film is based on folklore motifs.
The Esperance of Will
Art Direction
When the last of her friends has been buried, an elderly lady is on her way home from the graveyard. Her own memories play out in front of her eyes all over the city. At the local coffin store, she has to face a choice – a coffin or an old sledge. She says her goodbyes and takes off towards the nearby forest. It isn’t easy to make death charming and almost jovial, but director Rene Turtledove accomplishes it in this animation short about an elderly woman who has buried one too many friends and decides there are better ways to spend her money and her time than on the local coffin shop.
Failed State. Are We?
Animation
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.
Brer Rabbit and Boss Lion
Visual Effects
A story about the fearless Brer Rabbit and the greedy, brazen and boastful Boss Lion who uses the gullibility of the little brothers to rule over their simple lives. Rabbit comes up with a brave plan and a way to defeat the horrible Lion with his resourcefulness. The final film of film studio Dauka.
The Cuckoo and Her 12 Hubbies
Visual Effects
A sensation or good fortune? Or a lucky occurrence? The Cuckoo has 12 husbands, all of them splendid! Can this be true, and why is she the lucky one?
The Cuckoo and Her 12 Hubbies
Sound Director
A sensation or good fortune? Or a lucky occurrence? The Cuckoo has 12 husbands, all of them splendid! Can this be true, and why is she the lucky one?
Sister and Brother
Visual Effects
A sister and brother dream of the same adventures, though each interprets their dream differently. A dream travels where we are not, and where each misfortune turns into a new opportunity, but the goal always remains unattainable.
Butterflies
Editor
An audiovisual interpretation of one of the "epiphanies" by Imants Ziedonis.
Butterflies
Sound Director
An audiovisual interpretation of one of the "epiphanies" by Imants Ziedonis.
Butterflies
Director of Photography
An audiovisual interpretation of one of the "epiphanies" by Imants Ziedonis.
Before All Waters Go To Sleep
Sound Director
An animated lullaby for children by Latvian poet Māris Čaklais.
Before All Waters Go To Sleep
Director of Photography
An animated lullaby for children by Latvian poet Māris Čaklais.
Latavio, or Life Nr. 2
Director
An omnibus film consisting of ten parts, each directed by a different young director from the Latvian Academy of Culture. The unifying element of the ten shorts is the place where they take place - the airport. A lot can happen there - including a strike by a comet, a malicious attempt to break havoc by passengers, or an exploration of the old airport guard's house where not a lot has changed since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The film consists of the following parts: A Mishap (Nediena) by Arta Biseniece, Blurp (Šļurp) by Aija Bley, Alien Sky (Svešās debesis) by Viesturs Kairišs, 5 Versions (5 versijas) by Dzintars Krūmiņš, Comet (Komēta) by Māra Liniņa, Cleptomania (Kleptomānija) by Andis Mizišs, Alfredo's Poetry (Alfredo dzeja) by Igors Varenieks, Little Hand (Mazā roka) by Ilze Vidauska, Comet 2 (Komēta 2) by Anna Viduleja, and Life No. 2 (Dzīve nr.2) by Kristīne Želve.
Fantadrome
Co-Director
Fantadroms is a Latvian children's sci-fi cartoon by production company Studio Dauka. The episodes were released sporadically between 1985 and 1995, and all thirteen of them were released as a collection on DVD in 2006. The hero of the show is a yellow shape-shifting robot called Indrikis XIII, who usually takes the form of a cat. He flies through space, mediating various disputes between the other characters. One recurring dynamic in the show is the love triangle between Indrikis XIII and Receklite - the flying purple cat-octopus with whom he is in love with, and the rat – who is in love with Indrikis. Other recurring characters include a cow, a (human) woman, and an amorphous pink blob. The episode "Salt" won the Lielais Kristaps award for best animation in 1985. The show has no dialogue and drama unfolds through pantomime and expressive noises such as grunts, groans, and laughter, which allows the show to cross language barriers.