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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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List Of Latvian Submissions For The Academy Award For Best International Feature Film
The Republic of Latvia has submitted a variety of films for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards. The award is given annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to a feature-length motion picture produced outside the United States that contains primarily non-English dialogue, and was first presented at the 29th Academy Awards.

The academy selection committee reviews all submissions for this award, and votes the five candidates via secret ballot voting. For Latvia, the panel works on behalf of the National Film Centre of Latvia (NFCL). As of 2022, it consists of Latvian Filmmakers Union chairperson Ieva Romanova, Ministry of Culture secretary Dace Vilsone, critic Kristīne Simsone, filmmaker Dace Pūce, film producer Alise Ģelze, and animator Edmunds Jansons. Dita Rietuma, film historian and director of the NFCL, is head of the panel since 2020. They would hold a meeting to decide on the submission, and would often announce the reason for the final decision. Previous members include film historian Viktors Freibergs, director and Latvian Academy of Culture [lv] professor Dāvis Sīmanis, chairwoman of the Latvian Cinematographers Union Zane Balčus, chairman of the Baltic Sea Documentary Film Forum Zane Balčus and Dzintars Dreibergs, as well as film producer Uldis Cekulis.

A month after restoring independence, Latvia was recognized by the Soviet Union in September 1991, bringing the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic to an end. In 1992, they sent their first-ever film for consideration, a comedy film titled The Child of Man, written and directed by Jānis Streičs, at the 65th Academy Awards. The film was considered alongside 32 other films but failed to be nominated. They made their next submission in 2008 for the 80th Awards, another in 2010 for the 83rd, and another in 2012 for the 85th, and have sent a film each year since then. In total, Latvia has made 15 submissions to the category, 14 of which were not nominated, and the latest, 2023 submission My Freedom still pending review. The only director with two nominations is Viestur Kairish, with his films The Chronicles of Melanie (2016) for the 90th Awards and January (2021) for the 95th awards.

List of submissions

List of films, with the English and original titles, directors, and submission results
Year
(Ceremony) 		Film title used in nomination Original title Director Result Ref.
1992
(65th) 		The Child of Man Cilvēka bērns Jānis Streičs Not nominated
2008
(81st) 		Defenders of Riga Rīgas sargi Aigars Grauba [lv] Not nominated
2010
(83rd) 		Hong Kong Confidential Amaya Māris Martinsons Not nominated
2012
(85th) 		Gulf Stream Under the Iceberg Golfa straume zem ledus kalna Jevgēņijs Paškēvičs [lv] Not nominated
2013
(86th) 		Mother, I Love You Mammu, es tevi mīlu Jānis Nords [lv] Not nominated
2014
(87th) 		Rocks in My Pockets Akmeņi manās kabatās Signe Baumane Not nominated
2015
(88th) 		Modris Juris Kursietis Not nominated
2016
(89th) 		Dawn Ausma Laila Pakalniņa Not nominated
2017
(90th) 		The Chronicles of Melanie Melānijas hronika Viestur Kairish Not nominated
2018
(91st) 		To Be Continued Turpinājums Ivars Seleckis [lv] Not nominated
2019
(92nd) 		The Mover Tēvs Nakts Dāvis Sīmanis Jr. [lv] Not nominated
2020
(93rd) 		Blizzard of Souls Dvēseļu putenis Dzintars Dreibergs [lv] Not nominated
2021
(94th) 		The Pit Bedre Dace Pūce Not nominated
2022
(95th) 		January Janvāris Viestur Kairish Not nominated
2023
(96th) 		My Freedom Mana Brīvība Ilze Kunga-Melgaile Not nominated

Submission reasoning

  1. ^ The panel said that the film is "highly valued in a narrative and artistic sense", marking all aspects of it "professional [and] memorable".
  2. ^ The panel stated that the film is a "stylistically unified and epic work with a strong protagonist, expressive visual solutions and great actors". It also noted the film's "meaning for Latvian history and culture."
  3. ^ In the meeting, the panel said that the reason for choosing the film was due to it being a "dynamic, universal and seamless message". The panel opined that its theme, cinematography, and originality made the film stand out against the other two candidates: What Silent Gerda Knows, directed by Jevgeņijs Paškēvičs, and The Sign Painter, directed by Viesturs Kairish.
  4. ^ The panel chose the film for its understandable and humane plot with accurate depictions of rural life, adding that for international audiences, "the film is a convincing director's debut". These made the film stand out against the other two candidates: Gads pirms kara [lv], directed by Dāvis Sīmanis, and Spogulī, directed by Laila Pakalniņa.
  5. ^ The panel chose the film due to its "cinematic and evocative" depiction of personality and history, as well as Kairish's familiarity internationally following the film's premiere at the 2022 Tribeca Festival.
  6. ^ The panel chose this film based on its cinematographic qualities as well as its story which features "a modern perspective on historical events" with themes of women's empowerment.

External commentaries

  1. ^ In response, director Jevgēņijs Paškevičs states: "I am, of course, happy for our team, operators, artists, managers, and others who worked on this film. Of course, there is no need to cherish vain expectations, but it is also a pleasure that the jury has already made such a decision".
  2. ^ In response, the creator of the film Signe Baumane said, "It was unexpected for me, as Latvia has produced a few amazing films in the last year, and I didn't think an animated feature would have a chance in the competition against great live-action films". She hoped that the submission acquaints people more towards Latvian history and people, as well as widen the scope of mental illness discussions.
  3. ^ Viestur Kairish, director of The Chronicles of Melanie, opined that "To Be Continued is about the way a human enters life. By submitting the film by Ivars Seleckis, we are standing up for humanism and real film art."

See also