The Chronicles of Melanie

2DORCSES15
Director:Viesturs Kairišs
Cast:Sabine Timoteo, Edvīns Mekšs, Ivars Krasts, Guna Zariņa
Length:120 minutes
Genre:Historical, Drama, Biographical

The Chronicles of Melanie

Melānijas hronika; Viesturs Kairišs, 2016, OV (lot.) + ST (cz) + eST (ang.) | MFF BA 2017; Viesturs Kairišs, 2016, versions: OR,CS,ES,

More info about festival and tickets on festival website IFF BA

Director: Viesturs Kairišs • Scenario: Melanie Vanaga • Camera: Gints Bērziņš • Cast: Sabine Timoteo, Edvīns Mekšs, Ivars Krasts, Guna Zariņa, Maija Doveika, Viktors Nemecs

Early morning of June 14, 1941, in Stalin-occupied Latvia: Soviet invaders break into the home of Melanie and Aleksandrs, journalists working for an independent Latvian newspaper, and force them to leave everything behind. At the train station, they get shoved into cattle cars destined for Siberia along with over 15,000 of their fellow citizens. In the face of frost, famine and ferocity, Melanie seeks strength only through writing hundreds of letters to Aleksandrs that never get sent, letters teeming with hope for a free Latvia and a better tomorrow. For the full 16 years, Melānija keeps a handwritten family chronicle for her son, Andrejs, as she herself no longer has hopes of returning to Latvia. Based on the true life story of Melānija Vanaga, the film is a celebration of the unyielding human spirit and an agonising account of the greatest tragedy ever to befall the Latvian nation. The motion picture is Latvia’s official entry for the Academy Award for the Best Foreign Language Film.

Length: 120 min

Year: 2016

Country of origin:

  • Czech Republic
  • Finland
  • Latvia

Language version:

OR - Original version
CS - Czech subtitles
ES - English subtitles

More info about festival and tickets on festival website IFF BA

Director: Viesturs Kairišs • Scenario: Melanie Vanaga • Camera: Gints Bērziņš • Cast: Sabine Timoteo, Edvīns Mekšs, Ivars Krasts, Guna Zariņa, Maija Doveika, Viktors Nemecs

Early morning of June 14, 1941, in Stalin-occupied Latvia: Soviet invaders break into the home of Melanie and Aleksandrs, journalists working for an independent Latvian newspaper, and force them to leave everything behind. At the train station, they get shoved into cattle cars destined for Siberia along with over 15,000 of their fellow citizens. In the face of frost, famine and ferocity, Melanie seeks strength only through writing hundreds of letters to Aleksandrs that never get sent, letters teeming with hope for a free Latvia and a better tomorrow. For the full 16 years, Melānija keeps a handwritten family chronicle for her son, Andrejs, as she herself no longer has hopes of returning to Latvia. Based on the true life story of Melānija Vanaga, the film is a celebration of the unyielding human spirit and an agonising account of the greatest tragedy ever to befall the Latvian nation. The motion picture is Latvia’s official entry for the Academy Award for the Best Foreign Language Film.

Year: 2016

Country of origin:

  • Czech Republic
  • Finland
  • Latvia

Language version:

OR - Original version
CS - Czech subtitles
ES - English subtitles