Agita Cāne-Ķīle

When Russia invaded Ukraine, the echoes of war reached Latvia as well, serving as a reminder of its long border with Russia and the grim memories of the Soviet occupation. The film follows those who decided not to wait. An artist, a sports journalist, an industrial climber, and a Catholic priest join the Latvian National Guard—civilians preparing for the unimaginable.

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This film portrait of organist Iveta Apkalna reveals her journey from her native Latvia to the world's greatest stages. Her name is synonymous with virtuosity and complete dedication to music. "Iveta has the ability to bring music to life," says Finnish composer Esa-Pekka Salonen. The film shows the contrasts in Iveta Apkalna's professional life — from the glamour of the stage to lonely hours of rehearsal at night. The film features her performances with virtuoso violinist Hilary Hahn, outstanding conductor Paavo Järvi, and contemporary music composer Nico Muhly, as well as audience ovations and adrenaline.

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Slow, gentle, mysterious: Pēteris Vasks' music seems timeless. A major figure in contemporary composition, the composer blends Latvian traditions and Western European musical worlds with rare elegance. Choral music plays a central role in his work, as evidenced by this concert combining voices, strings and organ recorded in Ventspils.

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To mark the 140th anniversary of the organ at Riga Cathedral, Latvian organist Iveta Apkalna and the Latvian Choir are presenting a concert combining classical works (Johann Sebastian Bach, Franz Liszt) and contemporary pieces (Sven-David Sandström), showcasing the rich sound of this exceptional instrument.

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Latvians in the USSR. In the 1920s and 1930s, while remaining in Russia, Ukraine, and elsewhere, held leading positions in the Cheka, the military, and the Communist Party, built up the Soviet economy, created a specific Latvian culture, or did very simple work. What drove them—ideals, ambition, or survival? Career aspirations? Was the tragedy that befell them during Stalin's repressions in the "Latvian operation" inevitable? The statistics are grim – more than 22,360 people were arrested. More than 16,500 were sentenced to death. The filmmakers chose to base their story on the life stories of several characters they selected themselves, as well as on a general outline of the conditions in which our compatriots who remained in the USSR lived in the 1920s and 1930s.

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What happens in the eyes of a 100-year-old filmmaker? Rolands Kalniņš, one of the great masters of Latvian cinema, sits down to have his photo taken and looks straight in the lens. Kalniņš’ life has spanned an authoritarian regime, a world war, long years under Soviet occupation and censorship, and retirement in independent Latvia. His films have been censored, destroyed, found and restored. But here, like Herz Frank once did with a child, for ten minutes we shall observe the micro-emotions of a man who has dedicated his life to film. Confronted directly by the tool of his trade, the camera. As we face Kalniņš eye to eye, we hear the sounds of his present, and the memories of his past.

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A documentary about Latvian film star Vija Artmane.

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