What not to miss in cinemas? “Silence of Mary”, “Totem” and “2 Annas”
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Kristine Simsone / Latvian Radio
“Silence of Mary”
This week, Dāvja Sīmanis’ latest feature film “Mary’s silence” will be shown in the repertoire of cinemas. The historical drama based on true events tells about Marija Leiko, a theater and silent film actress born in Latvia – in the first third of the 20th century, she was one of the few actresses of Latvian origin who acted internationally, including with the well-known German expressionist Friedrich Wilhelm Murnav.
The story of the film “Mary’s Silence” takes place at the end of the 1930s – shortly before a new global war broke out in the world. The crossroads of human values and the dissolution of individuals in the mills of repressive regimes are topics that Dāvis Sīmanis returns to again and again – his previous work – “The Year before the War” – told about the events in 1913, while his debut feature film “Pelnu sanatorija” depicted that devastation , which war brings to people’s minds. He also created the biographical drama “Father’s Night” about the rescuer Žani Lipki.
“Maria’s Silence” is, in my opinion, the director’s best feature film so far.
It depicts the end of Marija Leiko’s life – starting with the fateful decision to stay in Moscow, in the acting troupe of the Latvian theater “Skatuve”. Theater workers and actors were once murdered during Stalin’s Great Terror. The actress Olga Šepicka-Slapjuma is excellent in the role of the title character – she plays Leiko both as a diva and – in the film’s finale – as a person who is unbreakable in terms of values and faithful to her moral compass. Actors Artūras Skrastiņa and Ęirta Ķesteri are also seen in unusual but powerful roles – their characters make us reflect on a painful page of our country’s history: Latvian collaborationism with repressive regimes.
The film, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival in February, is significant both in the context of contemporary events and historically: it emphasizes that in a world ruled by totalitarian regimes, no one is safe – even those who enjoy a privileged position for a while. Importantly, it sheds light on the end of Leiko’s life in a way: until the relatively recent past, the cultured opinion of Soviet propaganda prevailed that she ended her life by suicide.
“Silence of Mary” in theaters from April 4.
“Totem”
On the other hand, from April 5, the excellent drama “Totems” by the Mexican director Lila Aviles can be seen on the cinema screens. It was shown in the program of the 2023 Berlin Film Festival and, like Dāvjas Sīmanis’ film, received the prize of the Ecumenical Jury or the representatives of Christian churches – it is given to cinematographic works that particularly masterfully depict humanity and the human.
“Totem” is a film that defies description – it captures everyday events: a family preparing for a birthday celebration from the point of view of a little girl. The step of the house, the conversations of family members, the great expectation – basically these are the moods and processes that run through the film. There is only one nuance – the jubilee, that is, the father of the main character, is seriously ill. Although the topic of imminent loss is heavy, the director portrays it gently and honestly – exactly as the main character – a seven-year-old girl – sees it.
The film’s story takes the viewer on a flexible, touching journey, aptly capturing the passage of time, the most important stops in life and family relationships. And paradoxically, the film is healing in its own way – it is like a wise, deep and meaningful conversation.
“Totem” in cinemas from April 5.
“2 Annas”
The international short film festival “2Annas” starts this week, it will take place from April 5 to 11. This year, the main theme of the festival is “Mind”, and the creators of “2Annu” promise to look into and reflect on the “depths and abysses” of the human mind with a film program.
As those who have worked in the field of short films have emphasized, short films are not full-length “little brothers” or a training bridgehead, but an independent cinema format, in which the emerging trends often predict what we will see later in longer films.
In the festival program, you will be able to see specially selected selections of the latest short films from the world and the Baltics, as well as learn by listening to lectures or visiting thematic film programs, which collect important works in the history of cinema.
