PRODUCTION: Escaping Riga in Development

11-11-2010

PRODUCTION: Escaping Riga in Development

By Cathy Meils

Director Davis Simanis and producer Liga Gaisa are in development with a Latvian full-length documentary, Escaping Riga, a "docu-fiction" about Riga-born film director Sergei Eisenstein who emigrated to Russia and philosopher Sir Isaiah Berlin who immigrated to England. The film, produced by Mistrus Media (www.mistrusmedia.lv) looks at their early childhood friendship and their final meeting after WWII.

The film takes an unusual approach for documentary, by recreating archive material to make an un-official biography. It will be Simanis' third feature-length documentary.

The film's budget is 150,000 euros, with 32,000 euros in development funding already in place from the MEDIA programme. The film will apply for a grant from the Latvian Film Fund in February, and the project was pitched at the East European Forum (www.dokweb.net) at the Jihlava documentary festival (www.dokument-festival.cz) in late October.

The film will shoot through fall 2011, with a 2010 completion date.

Contact information

Mistrus Media Ltd.

Blaumania Str 11/13-12

LV-1011 Riga, Latvia

Published in Latvia