Troubled Minds

In a 17th century Swedish Livonian village, constant rain and drunkenness prevail. When a stolen relic sparks witchcraft accusations, an 80-year-old self-proclaimed werewolf named the Dog of God arrives with a mysterious gift: The Devil’s Balls.

DocuDrama about 13th century pre-Christian culture. Danish spy Lars enters the tribal lands of the Baltic peoples, where he takes part in religious rites, cruel forays, gets high during the Summer Solstice, becomes slave to the Couronians and even fights the crusaders. Who were the last pagans of Europe and how did they live? It is a unique trip into the textures of the past and into the unknown lands of the Baltic Tribes.

Small town resident Valters breeds his pigs and sings in the local church choir. His childhood secret however, prevents him from integrating in the community. After the death of his father he tries to establish contact with Aija. This is not the beginning of an ordinary young couple’s love story.

“Hike '44" is a personal story by director Lauris Abele and cinematographer Marcis Abele about how to maintain humanity when the world falls apart. The protagonist of the film, Melita Abele (89), retraces her refugee path from 1944, when, at the age of 14, she had to leave her home at the beginning of winter. Asking strangers for shelter, spend nights in the woods until she found refuge and warm hearts. Through the use of animation, the viewer will be guided through Melita's memories on a journey through recent and present-day Latvia until a series of events brings Melita to what she has been trying to accomplish for 75 years.

Curonians is a historical documentary about one of the ancient Baltic tribes. The Curonians lived in the western parts of modern-day Latvia from the 5th until the 16th century. They eventually merged with other Baltic peoples to form the Latvian nation. The docu-mentary utilizes reenacted scenes, interviews with known historians and 3D animation to tell the story of this brave warrior tribe. They were feared even by their Scandinavian neighbors and remained one of the last remaining pagan tribes in Europe. Evidence of Curonian rituals can be found as late as the 19th century. The film offers a brief insight into their lives, culture, customs and beliefs. It tells about their moments of strength, victory and also their defeats.

Behind the all-seeing eyes of surveillance cameras, there is always someone watching the Latvian capital. "Full Moon Serenade" offers the viewer a unique opportunity to get to the other side of the surveillance cameras on the nights of the full moon to see Rīga's night life in all its quirky forms. The film is a tribute or a serenade to the nocturnal city, night dwellers and night watchers.

Short documentary fiction about the passion of an actress.