16-12-2022

PRODUCTION: Ilze Kunga-Melgaile in Postproduction with Latvian/Lithuanian Drama Life Interrupted

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    Life Interrupted by Ilze Kunga-Melgaile Life Interrupted by Ilze Kunga-Melgaile image courtesy: TASSE Film

    RIGA: Ilze Kunga-Melgaile's historical drama Life Interrupted / Dzīve pārtraukta is currently in postproduction, after successfully wrapping the shooting in the autumn of 2022. The main character is based on the journalist and politician Ita Kozakeviča, a bright figure in the pro-independence movement in the final Soviet years, who passed away suddenly at the age of 35 years in 1990.

    Life Interrupted tells the story of Alicija (33), a Polish-born liberal free-thinker, living in Latvia, who joins the Awakening movement in the late 80s and 90s. Awakening (Atmoda) was a movement advocating for the restoration of Latvia's independence from the Soviet Union. Alicija's social activism soon intertwines with her personal life, as she learns of her husband's potential involvement with the KGB.

    The film is produced by Latvia’s TASSE Film and coproduced by Lithuania's M-Films, with a budget slightly above 1 m EUR, representatives of TASSE Film told FNE. The National Film Centre of Latvia, the State Cultural Capital Foundation of Latvia, the Lithuanian Film Centre and Creative Europe MEDIA are supporting.

    The project received funding from the Latvian National Film Centre in the spring of 2021 at a memorable session where three out of four feature films getting production grants were directed by women. Lotus directed by Signe Birkova and produced by Studio Locomotive in coproduction with Lithuania’s Studio Uljana Kim, and Black Velvet directed by Liene Linde and produced by Ego Media in coproduction with Lithuania’s Tremora, are also set to be released in the autumn of 2023.

    Ilze Kunga-Melgaile previously wrote and directed five short films, often working in an auteur cinema style, at times working also as the editor of her work. Life Interrupted is her first feature film.

    Production Information:

    Producer:
    TASSE Film (Latvia)
    Life Interrupted by Ilze Kunga-Melgaile, image courtesy: TASSE FilmAija Bērziņa: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    Coproducer:
    M-Films (Lithuania)

    Credits:
    Director: Ilze Kunga-Melgaile
    DoP: Maxim Efros
    Production designer: Jurģis Krāsons
    Costumes: Līga Krāsone
    Make-up: Ilze Trumpe
    Main cast: Ērika Eglija- Grāvele, Gints Grāvelis, Darius Meškauskas, Ilze Ķuzule- Skrastiņa