“Latvian Stories in Cinema” invites you to watch the films “Defenders of Riga” and “Uļa”

On November 18, at the cinema hall of the Rūjiena Cultural Centre, “Latvian Stories in Cinema” in cooperation with “Kinopunkts” invites you to watch the films:

at 12:00, the historical film “Defenders of Riga”, directed by Aigars Grauba.

The story of “Defenders of Riga” takes place in 1919. The First World War has ended. After many years spent fighting far from home, Mārtiņš returns to Latvia to his fiancée Elza. He does not realize that the decisive battle, both for Elza’s heart and for the newly established Latvian state, still lies ahead. The German army, led by the Russian officer Pavel Bermondt, is preparing to seize Riga, and politicians believe that Latvia’s only hope of holding out against the German forces is the support of the Allied countries. But Mārtiņš and a handful of the brave are ready to fight, and the heroism of the Defenders of Riga strengthens faith in the Latvian state both at home and abroad.

at 14:30, the feature film “Uļa”, directed by Viesturs Kairišs.

The film “Uļa” is a visually and emotionally powerful story about identity, growing up, and the search for belonging. It is set in Latvia in the late 1960s. Uļa is a teenage Old Believer whose height is approaching two meters. When her class photo ends up in the hands of basketball coaches, Uļa is taken to Riga to join a famous basketball team. Struggling with her body and her identity, she trains hard, but soon realizes that she must make one of the most important choices of her life: hide or become the best female basketball player in the world.