Saturday evening world premieres of seven short documentaries about unusual culture in the Latvian capital concluded Riga Summer School 2014, organized by Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Latvia. Film about Čiekurkalns – Schreyenbusch Gaudi by students from Poland, Germany and Tanzania – received the Grand Prix of Riga Summer School 2014. All seven films are available for viewing online.

Documentary Permission to Land about Spilve Airport by students from Estonia, Italy, Germany and South Africa received Certificate of Appreciation. Two documentaries, the winner Schreyenbusch Gaudi and Awake Somehow about Imanta by students from Australia and Germany, received the Audience Award. This year film producer Andrejs Ēķis, LTV producer Olga Proskurova – Timofejeva, OTV journalist Sarmīte Balode, TV 5 journalist Mihails Kozlovs, LTV journalist Diana Spinu, LTV journalist Judīte Čunka and Embassy of Poland representative Jolanta Wisnioch worked in the jury. The Audience Award was decided by the people attending the premieres event on Saturday. During the summer school short documentaries on culture in Riga neighborhoods –Čiekurkalns, Mežaparks, VEF, Grīziņkalns, Spilve and Imanta – were produced. Students from 14 countries – Australia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Poland, South Africa, Tanzania, Uzbekistan, Turkey and Latvia – participated in Riga Summer School from August 3 until 17. It took place already for the fourth summer in a row. Films are available for free broadcast/use in media and events with prior permission from the organizers for the Riga Summer School. For additional information, please, contact Kaspars Rūklis, Executive Director of the Riga Summer School (0037129405048, kaspars.ruklis@gmail.com). More on www.rigasummerschool.eu or Facebook profile.
RIGA SUMMER SCHOOL 2014 SHORT FILMS
  ČIEKURKALNS SCHREYENBUSCH’S GAUDI This is a story about a 87 year old man who has devoted almost 30 years of his life to constructing and decorating a church in the Riga district of Čiekurkalns, formerly known as Schreyenbusch. The artwork resembles the style of the popular Spanish architect Gaudi. A film by: Anna Gajewska, Poland, Tasneem Hassanali, Tanzania, Nora Lessing, Germany. Instructors Dmitrijs Ščegoļevs, Pēteris Sudakovs, Zane Peneze and Edgars Noskovs, producer Kaspars Rūklis. The film received Grand Prix and Audience Award of Riga Summer School 2014. Watch it here: www.youtube.com/watch   SPILVE PERMISSION TO LAND “Permission to Land” is a documentary about pilots and the Spilve airport in Riga. The film shows the contrasts between values and circumstances of pilots and aviation back in Soviet times and in modern Riga. It discovers the emotions of the pilots and show the differences and changes that has taken place at Spilve airport in the past years and how aviation has been effected. A film by:Giorgio Caridi, Italy, Jason Juan Edwards, South Africa, Katrin Kvade, Estonia, Annika Middeldorf, Germany. Instructors Dmitrijs Ščegoļevs, Pēteris Sudakovs, Zane Peneze and Edgars Noskovs, producer Kaspars Rūklis. The film received Certificate of Appreciation of Riga Summer School 2014. Watch it here: www.youtube.com/watch    IMANTA AWAKE, SOMEHOW   "Awake, Somehow" is a journey through the so-called "sleeping quarter" of Imanta in Riga. Many perceive it as just another residential area. In spite of the district’s reputation simply for endless blocks of Soviet-era apartments, this film attempts to dig deeper, revealing the identity of this unique neighborhood. A film by: Sarah Gray, Australia, Franziska Weber, Germany. Instructors Dmitrijs Ščegoļevs, Pēteris Sudakovs, Zane Peneze and Edgars Noskovs, producer Kaspars Rūklis. The film received Audience Award of Riga Summer School 2014. Watch it here: www.youtube.com/watch   VEF FACTORY DISTRICT CRYSTAL CLEAR KALVIS At the old VEF factory in Riga one can find a variety of characters, mostly artists. These people pursue different goals and have varied perspectives on VEF. One of the artists is Kalvis, a successful photographer. His true passion is making the world a better place. He tries to fulfill his vision by the creation of organites, crystal grids, programmed water, and connection with space. He struggles every day to produce good energy, despite what other people can think about him. A film by: David Šafránek, Czech Republic, Kamila Tocicka, Poland, Vanessa Ziefle, Germany. Instructors Dmitrijs Ščegoļevs, Pēteris Sudakovs, Zane Peneze and Edgars Noskovs, producer Kaspars Rūklis. Watch it here: www.youtube.com/watch   GRĪZIŅKALNS THE GREEN AND THE GHETTO: GRIZIŅKALNS PARK Griziņkalns Park is located in a historic part of Riga. The park has two sides: one is the “Skate Park” today used as the area where Ghetto Family hold their sports activities and the actual park with trees, benches and lawn where people relax. The film is about two different sides whose members express their opinions on how to make use of the park. It brings together the narratives of older and younger people of Grizinkalns. The people mention the way they would like to see the park in the near future. A film by:
Aizhan Rymbayeva, Kazakhstan, Faruk Saadet, Turkey, Vivien Thais Valentiner, Germany. Instructors Dmitrijs Ščegoļevs, Pēteris Sudakovs, Zane Peneze and Edgars Noskovs, producer Kaspars Rūklis. Watch it here: www.youtube.com/watch   MEŽAPARKS MEŽAPARKS: LOOPHOLE Entering the forest of Mežaparks you smell the pines, hear the birds and can take a break from everyday life in Riga. You get the impression of leaving the city. Amal-Sher, Tatjana and Alex discover the lifestyle of the people that grew up in this leisure and amusement park area. They meet Artis who enjoys this carefree atmosphere. It is a movie about an unusual neighborhood in Riga. They show an inside view on a summer lifestyle in Mežaparks. A film by: Tatjana Albrandt, Germany, Alexandra Ianakova, Germany / Bulgaria, Amal-Sher Kurbanov, Uzbekistan. Instructors Dmitrijs Ščegoļevs, Pēteris Sudakovs, Zane Peneze and Edgars Noskovs, producer Kaspars Rūklis. Watch it here: www.youtube.com/watch   IMANTA THE WAR OF ART The documentary is about art and its role in maintaining peace in the world. The Russian woman that is interviewed talks about the importance of art – music, literature etc. She together with others also sing a choir song is used in the film. The woman is working and living in Imanta. The documentary is done in black and white. A film by: Nijat Rahmanli, Azerbaijan. Instructors Dmitrijs Ščegoļevs, Pēteris Sudakovs, Zane Peneze and Edgars Noskovs, producer Kaspars Rūklis. Watch it here: www.youtube.com/watch

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