Latvian Directors, Shocked as 'European Film Festival' Takes Place in Russia, Withdraw Their Films

The 'European Film Festival,' which began in European countries on November 1, is also represented in Russia, a country accused of sponsoring terrorism. The festival features movies from across Europe, including two films, 'Oleg' and 'Imad's Childhood,' directed by Latvian filmmakers. Latvian teams were unaware of this, as reported by Latvian Television on Wednesday, according to LSM.

Latvian producers of the films 'Oleg' and 'Imad's Childhood' in Russia only learned about the 'European Film Festival' after a call from Latvian Television. This revelation led to outrage and questions about why such a film festival was being held in Russia, and why the authors of the films were not asked for permission to screen their works in a country accused of sponsoring terrorism.

'Oleg' is a collaborative production between Latvia, Lithuania, and Belgium. The film's producer, Alise Gelze, stated that she contacted the film's distributors located in Brussels. Russia was not on the list of festival participants sent to them over the past six months.

This event is organized by the 'European Film Festival' project. Gelze explained, 'They sold the rights to distribute the film to this organization. In other words, they have access to the entire catalogue of films, and this 'European Film Festival' is held in every country that aligns with the organization's main terms.'

The producer also reached out to a Lithuanian colleague. 'They even informed her about this festival, and she had deep discussions with the European Film Festival organization. I learned that this is soft propaganda by the European Union in Russia, something they didn't inform me about,' said Gelze.

The film 'Imad's Childhood' is a co-production between Sweden and Latvia. Responsibility for the contract with the sales agent lies with the Swedish producer.

Film producer Matiss Kazha said, 'In my practice, this is the first such case. A screening of a film associated with me was proposed in a terrorist country without my knowledge. If I had known, I would have said that we don't accept this. I think the problem here lies in the lack of understanding of the geopolitical situation by Western distribution companies and so-called trade agents.'

Kazha said he also contacted the film's sales agent to request the removal of the film from the repertoire. 'They responded that this festival is funded by the European Union, it is a project of the European Union, and it has nothing to do with Putin's regime. But I think whether there is a direct connection or not doesn't matter. We, as European producers, should not allow our films to be shown in this terrorist country.'

The motto of this festival is 'Cinema Unites.'

Latvian Television contacted the entities listed on the website and received confirmation that the European Union delegation indeed participates in the festival.

The festival is not organized in cooperation with official Russian institutions. It is a tool for promoting European values, culture, thought, and freedom of speech, as well as a means to more effectively counter Russian propaganda against the European Union.

Latvian Television reached out to European Parliament member Sandra Kalniete from the New Unity party. She only learned about the festival at the beginning of the week. 'To me, this seems more like typical propaganda techniques inherited from the Soviet Union, as such flexible cultural communication activities create an illusion of normal or normalized relations. I also have serious doubts that the European Union ambassador would allow this. In any case, if it is his responsibility, it should be clarified. If so, he should be held accountable.'

The National Film Centre also stated that they no longer maintain contacts with Russia and Belarus. 'We recommend films when meeting with festival program developers at markets and other industry events, and we try to recommend sets of films that represent not one country but an entire region,' said Agnese Zapane, the coordinator of international festivals at the centre, emphasizing that 'relations with Russia and Belarus have been severed.'

At the request of the producers, the films 'Oleg' and 'Imad's Childhood' have been removed from the festival program.

To recall, the European Film Academy (EFA) launched the second 'European Film Month' on November 1, which will last for six weeks and conclude on December 9 during the European Film Awards ceremony in Berlin.

The extensive film program will travel to more than 40 countries, showcasing European films, organizing special events, and retrospectives in partnership with a network of cinemas in 70 European cities.