BAL founder Ieva Balode will be presenting a film program of the latest experimental films made by authors from Latvia who not only choose to work with photochemical film but also create experimental narratives and engage with film's materiality and structure. The program showcases works by members of Baltic Analog Lab and authors who are somehow connected to it.

Can’t Help Myself. Anna Ansone

Latvia / 2022 / 19' / sound / 16mm to digital

A chronicle of beach people and of coincidences. Estere spends her days by the sea selling ice cream. Trying to find peace, she listens to meditation podcasts and reads self-help books. Meanwhile, strangers caressed by the summer sun look for the same in tarot cards, fortified drinks, and the Bible. Estere starts to repeat their chit chat, slowly beginning to believe what they are saying.

Pleasing to the Eye. Signija Joce

Latvia  / 2023 / 4' / sound / 16mm to digital

A self-reflective meditation on the topic of making art. An artist’s dive in memories over the creation – and destruction – of a painting. A love letter to painting and a journey to serenity.

Thanatophobia. Ieva Balode, Michael Higgins

Latvia, Ireland / 2022 / 11' / sound / 16mm to digital

Fear of the unknown, fear of the dark, fear of the enemy, fear of death since the beginnings of mankind have been both a driving force of humanity as well as a stumbling block. It is an instinctive force that has made humanity join up in communities in search of safety and shelter from a danger lurking in the darkness, however the finality of things is always inevitable. How does one overcome fear of their own fatality?

Time Here No Longer. Jāzeps Podnieks

Latvia  / 2022 / 15' / sound / 16mm to digital

A young man recalls different moments of his life, reflecting on the preservation of memory, the enigma of time and the inevitability of death.

Teacup Part 1. Artūrs Lūriņš

Latvia / 2023 / 5'30'' / sound / 35mm to digital

Patience and will, how much you can push yourself?

lost fps // they come out in the dark. Sintija Andersone

Latvia / 2023 / 5' / digital sound / 16mm

This 16mm analog journey was destroyed both by my forgetfulness and household chemicals.

It was a cold winter day, and I had convinced my mom that I wanted to film her and her horse in a snowy landscape. The wind was freezing, and we all shivered, but I was excited to develop the material I had shot.

I went to the lab and did the processing, but after opening the tank, I saw no image – just a dark film strip. I made a mistake while shooting and lost the whole thing. So I went on to destroy it even more. Frame by frame, a new world with melted landscapes and strange figures revealed itself to me – the film and its colorful layers came alive.

RAINBOW VISION SPECTRAL EXPRESS. Ieva Aleksa, Artūrs Lūriņš, Elīna Matvejeva, Sintija Andersone, Dāvis Gauja, Andrejs Strokins, Mersedes Margoit, Kei Sendak

Latvia / 2023 / 12' / digital sound / 16mm

A collaborative film made by members of Baltic Analog Lab where each artist expresses their vision of one color found in the visible spectrum of light.

More info: https://teatteriunion.fi/elokuva/latvian-experimental/

Supported by the Latvian State Culture Capital Foundation and WHS Teatteri Union