2023 VIRTUAL SCREENING LINE-UP
COLLECTIVE (Kolektīvs)
Aik Karapetian, Edgars Kaupers, Papa Chi, Oskars Rupenheits, Marta Elīna Martinsone, Mārtiņš Grauds, Latvia, 2023
98 minutes. In Latvian with English subtitles
International Premiere
Collective is a film anthology that revolves around the participants of the Latvian Song and Dance Festival, a cherished cultural tradition thriving in the Baltic states. Drawing inspiration from real-life events, this anthology features six directors, chosen for their distinctively different artistic styles and body of work.
Virtual Screening: November 11-19
MELCHIOR THE APOTHECARY (Apteeker Melchior)
Elmo Nüganen, Estonia/Germany/Latvia/Lithuania, 2022
98 minutes, In Estonian with English subtitles
North American Premiere
A medieval crime thriller about a pharmacist from Tallinn who has to uncover the secret behind a terrible wave of murders that threatens to destroy the entire Christian world.
Virtual Screening: November 10-19
MELCHIOR THE APOTHECARY: THE GHOST (Apteeker Melchior. Viirastus)
Elmo Nüganen, Estonia/Germany/Latvia/Lithuania, 2022
90 minutes, In Estonian with English subtitles
North American Premiere
In Melchior the Apothecary: The Ghost a relentless investigator unravels a web of supernatural deaths linked to a drowned maiden's vengeful spirit. As he delves into eerie secrets, his personal life is in turmoil when his fiancée unexpectedly ends their engagement.
Virtual Screening: November 10-19
MELCHIOR THE APOTHECARY: THE EXECUTIONER'S DAUGHTER (Apteeker Melchior. Timuka tütar)
Elmo Nüganen, Estonia/Germany/Latvia/Lithuania, 2022
90 minutes, In Estonian with English subtitles
North American Premiere
In the latest film in the Melchior the Apothecary trilogy, the protagonists’ quest to uncover the mystery behind a brutal attack brings him into contact with a shadowy night brotherhood and the arrival of a ruthless witch-hunter from Rome, pushing him and his wife to the brink of peril in a treacherous and enigmatic Tallinn.
Virtual Screening: November 12-19
SOVIET MILK (Mātes piens)
Ināra Kolmane, Latvia/Belgium, 2023
110 minutes, In Latvian, Russian with English subtitles
North American Premiere
Set against the backdrop of Soviet-occupied Latvia, Soviet Milk follows Astra, a doctor who defies the totalitarian regime, which leads to the unraveling of her professional and personal life. Based on Nora Ikstena’s bestselling novel, the film sensitively captures the tumultuous lives of its characters as they wrestle with personal demons while confronting an authoritarian regime, offering a poignant exploration of resilience and sacrifice..
Virtual Screening: November 12-19
CRIME SOLVING FOR BEGINNERS (Krimināllieta iesācējam)
Armands Zvirbulis, Latvia/Lithuania, 2022
90 minutes, In Latvian, Russian, English, Armenian with English subtitles
International Premiere
In the turbulent landscape of post-Soviet Latvia, a murder investigation intertwines the lives of a young investigator, a newly released criminal, and a politician, revealing a web of political conspiracy and personal struggle. Crime Solving for Beginners is a gripping Baltic Noir series that navigates the complexities of a nation in transition, where the shadow of the past still looms large, all within a captivating narrative structure that explores the intricate connections between personal and political battles.
Virtual Screening: November 13-19
MACHINA FAUST (Machina Faust)
Kaupo Kruusiauk, Estonia, 2023
77 minutes, In Estonian with English Subtitles
North American Premiere
Machina Faust is an authentic and raw documentary that offers an unfiltered look at the life of Estonian composer and saxophonist Maria Faust. Directed by Kaupo Kruusiauk, it portrays Faust as a relatable and inspiring figure, shedding light on the challenges women face in the music industry and in society at large.
Virtual Screening: November 11-19
THE POET (Poetas)
Giedrius Tamoševičius, Vytautas V. Landsbergis, Lithuania, 2022
112 minutes, In Lithuanian, Russian with English subtitles
North American Premiere
In post-war Lithuania, a talented, yet disgraced, poet faces a moral crossroads when recruited by the KGB to infiltrate the forest-dwelling partisans as a way to save his career. As he grapples with his tarnished reputation and the oppressive Soviet regime, he must navigate a treacherous path between survival, loyalty, and resistance in this gripping exploration of courage and sacrifice.
Virtual Screening: November 13-19