Berline 2006.indd

FILM FESTIVALa3,500-year-old mummybreathes like a characterfrom Stanley Kubrick’s 2001:A Space Odyssey; a block of icetransported from Alaska containsCharlie Chaplin’s cane from TheGold Rush; Sergey Eisensteinbequeaths a milk separator tohis hometown which contains ahidden gold bar… Such marvels canonly be experienced in Riga at theInternational Film Forum, Arsenals,celebrating its twentieth anniversarythis year.6• In 1986, the festival was bornas part of the city’s festivitiescelebrating Soviet Film Day and the90th anniversary of the first movingpicture show in Riga. Cleverlyutilizing perestroika, which wasin full swing at the time, and theenthusiasm of the undergroundmovie scene, it then gradually gainedin importance. By now the festivalhas been conceptually stabilizedin not following cheap flash andtemporary fads. Arsenals searchesfor novelty in the language of film,including in its programme filmswhich address the viewer withscenes, rhythms, lights, shadowsand sound. If some pedanticperson would undertake the taskof organizing all of the films shownover these twenty years of Arsenals’programmes and retrospectives, itwould be a wonderful sampling forthe film connoisseurs of the world.• Arsenals is conceptual notonly in its film selection, but alsoin its collective image, gainingnew nuances each year whilestill maintaining some constant,as though etched in stone,characteristics. There are noceremonious speeches during theopening festivities, in fact, not aword is spoken. There are onlylights, sound and the event. Theclosing ceremony is also highlytraditional – even though thecompetition, containing some twentyodd films, is part of the festivalprogramme, all of the directorswhose films were included in thecompetition screening are winners.They each receive the MagicalCrystal with the engraving BestDirector. The main prize – the fateof the USD 10,000 is determinedby (His Majesty “Chance”), in theform of a button from the tunic ofthe president of Arsenals, AugustsSukuts, which falls into one of thecocktail glasses and a draw amongstFilm Forum ArsenalsCelebrates its Anniversarythe competing directors is thenheld on stage. The basis for thiskind of lottery lies with the forumorganizers’ certainty that art can’t bedetermined by competition and interms of best or worst – the films inthe competition screening have gonethrough as much rigorous scrutinyas to not leave the jury any doubts.In the past, the cash awarded at theend of the closing ceremony hasmaterialized from water, air, ice andsheep’s wool, and no one knowswhat will happen this year.• Arsenals is also convinced thatfilm artistry can emerge in any genreand format, and that’s why features,documentaries and animationfilms are all included in the maincompetition screening and the otherprogrammes, and in the Baltic FilmCompetition screening as well,by Kristīne MatīsaJournalist, daily Neatkarīgāwhich is a wonderful opportunityfor the festival guests to becomefamiliar with films from Arsenals’home region.• Arsenals always expands uponand enriches the screenings ofgood films in five movie theatreswith a variety of events whichenthuse the media and society,offering unbelievable experiencesand breathtaking tumbles – boththe Dutchman, Jos Stelling, andthe American, Bill Plympton, haveadmitted that Arsenals was the mostsurreal experience in their lives. Formany years now on a set evening,the guests of Arsenals have climbedaboard a train and set out on apilgrimage to the small Latvian townof Keipene, where an object worthyof a Guinness record stands – alighthouse, 70 kilometres fromthe sea. Sergey Eisenstein mansthe station house ticket window,and the lighthouse radiates out theletter “P” in honour of Latvian filmlegend, Juris Podnieks. From anold-fashioned payphone one can callMarilyn Monroe, Jean-Luc Godard,Andrei Tarkovsky, Salvador Dalior Marlene Dietrich. This year aswell, the guests of Arsenals will beinvited to Keipene for the openingof a Giants’ table in the spirit of TheBattleship Potemkin.• “Even an earthquake won’t stopfilm screenings in Riga” - the veryfirst Arsenals started with thisslogan, and really – even thoughseismic disturbances have beenrecorded on festival days both in1986 and 2004, this hasn’t been anobstacle for Arsenals. Every yearsome 120 foreign guests arrive, andfor the anniversary this number couldtriple because everyone is invited -those who have already experiencedthe magic of Arsenals, and thosehoping to be acquainted. FromSeptember 16th-24th, the Latviancapital of Riga will be transformedinto Arsenals city and the wholeworld will be welcome to join in onthis fascinating experience.More information is available atwww.arsenal.lv