Latvian director Viesturs Kairišs’ feature film “Ulya”, which had its world premiere in the “Un Certain Regard” programme at the 78th Cannes Film Festival, has attracted broad attention from the international film press and received high praise from critics. Reviewers have particularly highlighted the film’s visual language, Wojciech Staroń’s black-and-white cinematography, Kārlis Arnolds Avots’ performance, and the film’s original approach to the story of legendary basketball player Uļjana Semjonova.
The British publication “Cineverse” describes the film as “an intimate portrait of an exceptional athlete”, emphasising that ““Ulya” comes close to perfection in its visual execution and direction”. Meanwhile, “Indie-eye” praises the film’s visual concept, noting that the grainy black-and-white image “reflects the harshness of a strictly disciplined reality, without ever slipping into formal aestheticism”.
Several critics emphasise that “Ulya” is not a traditional sports biography. The Spanish radio and media group “Cadena SER” writes that the film is “a reflection on intimacy, gender and self-acceptance”, while the French publication “Cinephilia” describes it as “a portrait of a different woman”, centred on the formation of identity, loneliness and the relationship with one’s own body.
Particular attention has been paid to lead actor Kārlis Arnolds Avots. The film portal “Basically Cinema” writes: “It is almost unbelievable how completely he transforms into this character. His performance leaves viewers speechless.” Meanwhile, “Caiman Ediciones” notes that Avots creates “a sensitive character who observes the world from the perspective of someone who feels different”.
The Polish publication “Watching Closely” highlights Kairišs’ ability to combine auteur cinema with the tradition of sports film: “The combination of basketball and references to Carl Theodor Dreyer pleasantly surprised me — paradoxically, it worked brilliantly.” The same review also gives special recognition to the cinematography, noting that “the black-and-white frames are full of true colour”.
The film’s aesthetic quality is one of the most frequently mentioned aspects in international reviews. The French publication “Culturopoing” writes that the film’s “almost unreal black-and-white aesthetic gives it a strange and deeply moving beauty”, while “C7NEMA” describes the film as “a much more intimate, unusual and deeply sensual experience” than one might expect from a sports drama.
Critics have also praised the film’s thematic depth. “ODG Magazine” emphasises that Kairišs is interested not so much in the athlete’s achievements, but in the way power attempts to subdue and discipline a body perceived as different. Meanwhile, “Fuck News” describes the film as “a meditation on the impossibility of living a life without interpretations”, placing society’s attitude towards otherness at its centre.
Some reviewers also point to the film’s deliberately slow rhythm and highly stylised visual language, while even the more critical authors acknowledge the film’s artistic ambition and originality. The Spanish publication “Otros Cines” concludes that ““Ulya”once again confirms that Viesturs Kairišs is one of the most important talents in Latvian and Baltic auteur cinema, finally noticed by the Cannes Festival.”
Overall, the international film press describes “Ulya” as one of the most visually expressive and artistically ambitious works in this year’s “Un Certain Regard” programme, highlighting its bold approach to themes of identity, the body, loneliness and self-acceptance.
