MODRIS
by Juris Kursietis
Latvia/Germany/Greece 2014 98 in. Latvian-Russian original version with English subtitles
mon 16 nov 5:30 pm Caligari FilmBühne
Script: Juris Kursietis, DoP: Bogumil Godfrejów, Editor: Yorgos Mavropsaridis, Production: Red Dot Media, Sutor Kolonko, Boo Productions, Producers: Vicky Miha, Juris Kursietis, Ingmar Trost, Cast: Kristers Pikša, Rezija Kalnina
In this tough but compassionate coming-of-age drama, a Latvian teenager with a serious gambling addiction sets out to find his long-lost father. Modris is a normal 17-year-old with a girlfriend and some good pals at school. But his addiction to gambling makes his relationship with his mother difficult, especially since she keeps on reminding him that his father is in prison – so Modris must have inherited his bad genes.
"In the end, the story’s credibility and the young actor’s brazen boxer nose (that the Dardenne brothers would like in one of their films) triumph on all fronts." (www.cineuropa.org)
Biography: Juris Kursietis started his career at the age of 20, when he worked for the Latvian Television as foreign news correspondent. After six years in television he turned to cinema. He went to the UK to do his masters in film directing at the Northern Media School in Sheffield: his graduation mid-length fiction film RIT BUS (WILL HAVE IT TOMORROW) received attention in the UK and Latvia. In 2008, he joined Red Dot Media, where since than he has directed numerous TV commercials and full-length documentaries and has worked as a scriptwriter for feature films. In 2014, he shot his debut feature film MODRIS.
Filmography (selection): 2007 THE BICYCLE STORY (short film), 2008 RIT BUS (WILL HAVE IT TOMORROW), 2014 MODRIS
Awards (selection): Silver Prometheus (Tbilisi International Film Festival, Georgia 2014), Latvian Film Prizes for Best Debut Film etc. (National Film Festival, Riga/Latvia 2014)
