In the photo: a still from the film “My Frivolous Friend” (Jānis Streičs, 1975)
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“CINEMA OBJECT” – screen, line, cubes
At the LKA National Film School at 58a Miera Street, “CINEMA OBJECT” – screen, line, cubes – talks about film education in Latvia.
The Latvian Academy of Culture was founded in 1990. During its first decade, professionals such as Kalvis Zalcmanis, Ansis Epners, Pēteris Krilovs, Valdis Eglītis, Bruno Aščuks, Inga Pērkone, Lauris Gundars, and others worked on developing the highest-level film education programs and served as lecturers at the academy. Most Latvian filmmakers are graduates of the academy.
Thirty-five years is a period of time that has itself become a history worthy of research.
Research into film education has begun and continues thanks to the support of the LKA program “Development of Scientific Activity at the Latvian Academy of Culture.” The aim of the project is to research the history of film education in Latvia, providing an in-depth analysis and description of the contribution of the Latvian Academy of Culture to film education at the higher education level. The project is a joint effort of the Latvian Academy of Culture’s Department of Audiovisual Arts (LKA National Film School) and the Latvian Film Museum.
The research has resulted in video interviews with the creators, lecturers and graduates of the LKA film education program: cinematographer, educator, Professor Honoris Causa Valdis Eglītis, professor and film scholar Inga Pērkone, director, educator, LKA professor Pēteris Krilovs, director Gatis Šmits, cinematographer, educator, Professor Honoris Causa Valdis Eglītis, film scholar Agris Redovičs, director, LKA lecturer Andrejs Verhoustinskis, and director Anna Viduleja. Excerpts from interviews and films made by students can be viewed on screen.
The concise timeline highlights the years and places – these are milestones that tell the story of the beginnings and development of film education, from the first programs on Ludzas Street to the National Film School at 58a Miera Street, where film directors, cinematographers, editors, producers, and theorists can receive their education.
Cubes also “speak” about the history of film education in the “Cinema Object”. On one, we can read the titles of student films (“My Hobby is Life,” “Everything is Fine,” etc.), on another, the titles of Inga Pērkone’s books (“I Can Only Love… The Image of Women in Latvian Films,” etc.)(books are not available in english), while yet another displays quotes from Valdis Eglītis (“The best collaboration and results, of course, can be expected when the director has his own cinematographer”).
The design of the “Cinema Object” was created by set designer Ivars Veinbergs. Photo: Aleksandrs Vasks.
The “Cinema Object” can be viewed and listened to in the courtyard at 58a Miera Street, near the entrance to the National Film School, every day from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. (Without English translation.)
Creating Worlds: Latvian Film Designers and Film Artists.
A new name, a new home, and a new exhibition – on August 21, the Latvian Cinema Museum opens its doors at Miera Street 58a with Creating Worlds: Latvian Film Designers and Film Artists.
This year marks important changes for the museum. It now carries a name that better reflects its mission – the Latvian Film Museum – and has moved into new premises in Riga, at Miera Street 58a. To celebrate, the museum invites visitors to discover the exhibition Creating Worlds: Latvian Film Designers and Film Artists, opening on August 21.
In 21st-century Latvian cinema, the term art department has become established, referring to the professionals who create the visual environment that brings a director’s artistic vision to life. The exhibition highlights these often less visible, but essential figures of filmmaking – set designers, costume creators, make-up and special effects artists – and showcases their vital contributions to Latvia’s film industry.
Creating Worlds: Latvian Film Designers and Film Artists spans more than a century of cinematic artistry in Latvia – from the very first feature film produced in the Republic of Latvia, Es karā aiziedams / As I Went to War (1920), to the film productions of the 2020s. Visitors will discover unique pieces of film history: original sketches of sets, costumes, and make-up alongside their on-screen realizations, technologies used in creating special effects across different eras, reconstructions of iconic Latvian film environments, and much more.