A look back at the world premiere of Latvian film “Ulya” by Viesturs Kairišs in Cannes – photographer Agnese Zeltiņa shares the most vivid moments of the film’s creative team during their experience at the festival.
The film is based on an idea by Kārlis Arnolds Avots, who is also a co-author of the screenplay, about an emotional coming-of-age story of a young person and their journey toward self-acceptance, rooted in the experience and biography of the legendary basketball player Uļjana Semjonova.
The story takes place in Latvia in the late 1960s. At its center is Ulya – a girl growing up on a remote rural farm in an Old Believer family, where her unusual height causes others to question her place in the world. When a class photograph falls into the hands of basketball coaches, Ulya is taken to Riga, where her path toward becoming a world-class athlete begins, while she simultaneously searches for self-belief and her identity.
The feature film “Ulya” has been produced by the studio “Ego Media” and created as a co-production between Latvia, Estonia, Poland, and Lithuania, with the participation of the studios “Allfilm,” “Staron Film,” and “Tremora.” In Latvia, the film has been supported by the National Film Centre, Latvijas Mobilais Telefons, the Riga City Council, the Daugavpils Municipality, the Augšdaugava Municipality, Latvijas Finieris, Rietumu Banka, the Future Support Fund, Latvian Public Media, “Madara Cosmetics,” and others.
The creative team includes screenwriters Kārlis Arnolds Avots, Līvija Ulmane, and Andris Feldmanis, director Viesturs Kairišs, producer Guntis Trekteris, cinematographer Vojteks Starons, production designer Ieva Jurjāne, costume designer Rūta Lečaite, makeup artist Lisi Polumā, editor Armands Začs, and sound director Sīms Skepasts.
Starring Kārlis Arnolds Avots, Čulpana Hamatova, Alekss Kazanavičs, Artūrs Krūzkops, Alise Dzene, Dārta Cīrule, Madara Viļčuka, Varvara Čekhs, Kaspars Dumburs, Šamils Hamatovs, and others.
The Latvian premiere of the feature film “Ulya” is scheduled for September 15.
