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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Berlin:20260418T201500
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Berlin:20260418T214500
SUMMARY:Discourse Europe 1: Playing with Mirrors – Experimental Amateur Films from Latvia of the 1970s and 1980s
DESCRIPTION:The “Playing with Mirrors” programme represents a continuation of the focus on marginalised film cultures in the Baltic states under Soviet occupation. In 2023\, “The Sweet Word Freedom” retrospective was dedicated to the Lithuanian artist Artūras Barysas (1954-2005) – one of the most important subcultural figures in Vilnius of the 1980s. We are now turning our attention to officially permitted amateur filming in Latvia.\nFrom the end of the 1950s\, during Nikita Khrushchev’s policy known as the “thaw”\, the first amateur film groups were allowed in the Soviet Union. At that time\, Latvia was one of the hotspots for this increasingly popular free-time activity. By 1970\, the number of amateur film clubs in Latvia had grown to more than 40. Most of the films were shot in the semi-professional 16mm format – which provided a higher technical quality than 8mm\, as well as the option to add subsequent soundtracks and dubbing. At the latest from the mid-1960s\, however\, there were always individuals or small groups who dared to go a little further than the strict culture policy and legal regulations then permitted. With the exploration of Latvia’s autonomous ethnic history\, for instance\, playing a critical role here in defining its identity. Likewise\, environmental protections and the hardships of everyday life were important themes.\nBeing watched and observed by the KGB was part of everyday life at that time. Some pioneers of this scene were reprimanded\, with footage being confiscated or destroyed by the auteurs themselves out of fear. Despite this\, a body of invaluable works has been preserved for the future. The Latvian cultural historian Dr. Inese Strupule especially has made a significant contribution in this regard to researching and classifying these works within European film history. The preserved and partially restored works are now part of the national Latvian cultural heritage and can be found in the Latvian National Archives in Riga\, where they are available to the public.\nOur selection consists of 15 productions made between 1966 and 1989\, including fictional and documentary works\, as well as animated and experimental films. They are now being shown in Germany for the first time. The programme was curated by Dr. Elīna Reitere and Dr. Claus Löser\, who will also attend and comment on the screenings. The research work on and preparation of the films for screening purposes occurred in close cooperation with Sanita Grīna from the Latvian National Archives in Riga.\n\nCurated by Dr. Elīna Reitere and Dr. Claus Löser\, with the support of Sanita Grīna
LOCATION:Dresden\, Schauburg\, Chaplin-Saal
DTSTAMP;TZID=Europe/Berlin:20260809T030813
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