07-02-2014

FNE at Berlinale 2014: Latvian Films in Berlin

By National Film Centre of Latvia

    In the 64th Berlin International Film Festival two Latvian animations are selected and will be shown in section Generation Kplus – Daces Rīdūze’s Little Rudy and Jāņa Cimmermaņa Vasa, from series Rescue Team in Europe.

    Little Ruddy is the third film based on themes from Latvian writer and illustrator M. Stāraste's fairy-tales. Rosie is a red colouring pencil, who, together with the other pencils, colours in the author's story as it progresses. Their work continues until the moment they are interrupted by the appearance of an uninvited fly. Chasing the fly, Rosie ends up with in the land of dew drops, grassmen, meadow maidens, and other forest creatures. He has stepped into a fairy-tale. There, Rosie enthusiastically helps out with jobs in the forest; however, in the meantime, the story has become a bit unusual without the colour red.

    In more than seventy years Margarita Stāraste has illustrated about 20 self-authored books – many of which have been the first books read by several generations of readers. Now, through Dace Rīdūze’s creations, some of the stories will become the first films for young viewers. The audiences in Berlin will be introduced to Little Ruddy and friends shortly after the 100th birthday of their creator, Margarita Stāraste.

    Vasa is a story about the Vasa sailboat which is held in an exceptional museum in Sweden – a ship that has been lifted out from the bottom of the sea where it ended up after an unfortunate maiden voyage. One day, the museum staff notice a rat in the boat's hull and begin setting traps to catch the rodent before it damages this brilliant museum piece; however, as it turns out, the rat is not alone. In fact, there are surprisingly many of them. The staffs’ attempts to get rid of the rodents prove futile. And, because of its gentle Swedish upbringing, even the cat they bring in doesn't help. They need to call in the experts – the Rescue Team.

    The mystery drama by Maris Martinsons Oki – in the middle of the ocean (Latvia/ USA) will be screend in European Film Market.

    Rob, a former real estate broker, unemployed, starts following a strange Japanese woman, Oki, who constantly moves from house to house. He drags his roommate Wylie into the investigation during which they have to face the dark past and curse of Oki, while dealing with the history of their own.

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