Sandra Sila

The epic story of one of the most iconic Latvian rock bands – Jumprava [Yumpravah]. The feature film tells the story about how the electronic rock group Jumprava was founded in 1984 and how it evolved throughout the years until 1991. With their songs and their unique style, Jumprava encouraged the “third awakening” in Latvia and inspired young people to dream big on this side of the Iron Curtain.

Bruno is doing time in prison for a bank robbery. On Christmas day he receives a letter from his son, which makes him want to break out of prison immediately. His escape plan and his accomplice are in place, but a “Christmas miracle” turns everything upside down. A search for the escaped prisoner begins. To stay hidden he is suddenly forced to not only dress in a Santa Claus costume, but also spend Christmas Eve with a police officer and his family in their holiday cabin. While Bruno is only thinking about getting away, the police officer’s children only want Santa to help save their family which is on the edge of breaking apart. Will Bruno be able to save this family or will he be captured before getting where he needs to be?

The love story of sixteen-year-old Arturs is interrupted by the First World War. After losing his mother and his home, he finds some consolation in joining the army, because this is the first time national battalions are allowed in the Russian Empire. But war is nothing like Arturs imagined – no glory, no fairness. It is brutal and painful. Arturs is now completely alone as war takes the lives of his father and brother. Also, no progress is made in the promised quick resolution of the war and timely return home. Within the notion that only he alone cares about returning home and that his homeland is just a playground for other nations, Arturs finds strength for the final battle and eventually returns home to start everything from scratch, just like his newly born country.

Northern Europe. 13th century. Last pagan settlement near the Baltic Sea. The evil and cynical warrior crusader Max von Buxhoveden is trying to destroy the pagan beliefs of the people by spreading lies and fostering dissent. Old king of the last free pagan lands is on his deathbed and without an heir to take his place. Max wants to take over the throne and reign over old king’s tribe. Unexpectedly, with his dying breath the King passes on his ring to his nephew Namejs. The youngster, who grew up amongst pagan priests and studied ancient wisdoms, now has to defend his people. Will he be able to unravel the secret of the Ring and gain its power?

The creative documentary Piano Player is a story about the piano player and musician Oscar Strock, who was a well known tango music composer in 1920s Europe. Nobody knew him – only his music was well known. The life of Strock is like a side-show of everlasting debts, long voyages and wild and unlucky love affairs that find their best interpretation through his tango music. The piano player is a man, who barely arranges his life according to the political and economic circumstances in the world. To earn money, he plays for pubs and cinema theatres in Riga, Berlin and Paris, and for lovers, he writes the most romantic tango music.

The elderly nursing home residents for years feel worthless and troublesome. But then a crazy idea strikes them - to waive their pensions and enroll in the army as volunteers thus saving the country from financial crisis and spending excitingly the last years of their lives. The oldies are wise enough at organizing this event and now real adventures begin.

Four Latvian legionnaires are sentenced to death for deserting the German army. A Latvian girl heads to the German headquarters to try to free her beloved. In the few hours remaining before the execution a love triangle plays out between the girl, a German officer and the prisoner.

Latvia is governed by a strange ruler with a pig’s snout who calls himself Mr. Snout. Loath to being filmed himself and to filmmaking in general, he has locked up all positive heroes in an effort to prevent filming from taking place. The few survivors hope for the return of the Latvian folk hero Bear-slayer, who vanished into the river many centuries ago. In these harsh times, Bear-slayer rises from the water again to fight Mr. Snout. This film is a criticism of how the inaction of the Latvian government has brought Latvian filmmaking close to extinction.

The dawn of the XX century promised Latvians a prosperous and happy future. The nation’s self-esteem had awakened, and farmers were increasingly able to rise above even the estate stewards. Rudups, old soldier of the Kaiser and, with his wealth and pride, a thorn in the Baron’s side, becomes truly uncontrollable when he’s hit by Cupid’s arrow. The old boy is willing to do anything for simple maid Emily. But the girl loves his godson Karlis. It’s all a mix of riches, of cheating, and the Baron’s lawlessness. The fight of two relatives for Emily’s heart changes the fate of both men and the maid, so she can see sunshine through the tears.

The film dramatizes November 11, 1919- a crucial date in the battle for Latvian independence. A year after the end of the official hostilities of WWI, a renegade German general and troops remain outside the Latvian capital. Latvian riflemen, most of them inexperienced volunteers, somehow managed to defeat a larger, better-armed force of German and Russian mercenaries.

A modern story of love and how dangerous it is to play with the feelings of another.

A family drama circling around a love triangle - a mother, a daughter and a son-in-law. The plot is focusing on the mother's psychological manipulation with the son to "make a man" of him.

In this movie (based on a true story) within a movie, a director tries to film the tale of an old KGB activist living in a parish house. In the summer of 1941 the activist tortured and killed Latvians in the cellar of the house. Although the old man hires others to brick over the cellar door, the murdered people keep coming through the stones and never leave him in peace. Unbeknownst to the film makers, the "real" KGB activist, now an aged drunk, is milling about the film set. Moreover, the director and lead actor are competing for the love of the lead actress, and the film's producer wants the director to re-shoot parts of the movie.

Melodramatic movie with colorful elements of comedy and songs that have deeply rooted in the Latvian folklore. Love triangle - terminally ill university teacher, blind girl and young bard. In the background - wild arrival of the capitalism, political conflicts, city life and beautiful nature of Latvia. In the end love conquers everything though not everybody lives to witness that.

A six-year-old boy plots to stop his "sweetheart", a grown-up woman in his pre-World War II Latvian village, from marrying.

A six-year-old boy plots to stop his "sweetheart", a grown-up woman in his pre-World War II Latvian village, from marrying.

An ecranisation of an Anšlavs Eglītis's novel of the same title is an ironic story about the Latvian art scene during the 30ies.

A homage to Krišjānis Barons and his life's work – to collect and catalogue Latvian folksongs or dainas,thus creating the encyclopaedia of Latvian life, a poetic reflection of the knowledge of life accumulated over the centuries. The film is based on Krišjānis Barons' life during late 1800s and early 1900s – his childhood and youth in Latvia, studies and work in St. Petersburg and other places in Russia, his relationship with his faithful wife Dārta, and the awakening of the Latvian self-awareness.

An artist and his lover get trapped in their summer house by a gang of convicts.