The Land
Ivars Seleckis
108 MINS / LATVIAN / LATVIA / 2022
Synopsis
Through six very different families, "The Land" presents the variety of the countryside in the 21st century, the contradictions of the countryside living as well as illusions about farmer's lives. There are various reasons why the protagonists in this film chose to live in the homesteads, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Some were done with spending too much time in an office, traffic and living a virtual life, they wanted real, tangible things. Some have moved to the countryside by their own choice, but some by the predisposition of their families. However, the only uniting factor has been that they all aspire for the stability provided by their own land and house. These individual stories vividly draw the landscape of the 21st century countryside.
Cast & Crew
Director's Biography
Ivars Seleckis (1934), one of the founders of the legendary Riga School of Poetic Documentary Film. Originally trained as a food technologist, Seleckis started his career in film in 1958 as assistant cameraman at the Riga Film Studio. In 1966, he graduated from the Moscow Film Institute as a professional cinematographer and made his debut as a documentary director in 1968. A large part of Ivars Seleckis’ filmography belongs to the canon of Latvian film history, including his ‘Crossroad Street’ (1988), winner of three of the world’s most prestigious documentary awards. Now in his eighties, Seleckis is still busy making new films.