Valsis mūža garumā

"Valsis mūža garumā" is a 1990 two part movie made in Latvia. The director of the film is Dzidra Ritenberga and it was produced in studio AL KO.

Scenario[edit]

The movie starts in an affluent German home, in the late 80s. Everything is in black and white. There is a party, yet Velta sits in a room alone. Veltas husband has recently passed. Veltas daughter comes in and says to her, in German, there are people here from Latvia you should come and talk. Velta experiences colourful flashbacks, of her and her husband Werner in youth. She sits with the Latvian guests and they ask when she was last in Latvia, and suggest that she visit the family. The next scenes are of Velta traveling. When she arrives in Riga, she is greeted by her brother and they continue to travel by car.

In the past, Velta meets a German soldier, Werner. They meet several times, including after church service and at a country side party attended by German soldiers. Werner begins to visit her on the family farm and, there, their relationship grows. Another local boy is fond of Velta; he asks her to dance and often approaches her, yet he is unsuccessful in gaining her affection. As the war draws to an end, Werner decides to dissert the army and Velta offers to hide him on the family farm.

When the Soviets arrive, they have blocked the church. There they ask the locals for their documents; some are arrested, while some neighbours denounce neighbours. In the present, Velta meets the boy who was in love with her, now an older gentleman, and they have a warm conversation. As all the other scenes in the present, it takes place in black and white. His family arrives and Velta sneaks away to continue her journey to her relatives home. In the past, now there are again farm parties, only now with Russian music and Russian soldiers. The boy who is fond of Velta is speaking politics to other young adults. He quotes Stalin and tells them that he will become a police officer.

Velta and Werner seem to be living in bliss on the isolated farmstead. Werner has started to learn Russian and Velta tells him that they will have a child. Veltas father is angered by the news and asks who will vouch for the child? Soviet soldiers pass by on their territory, reminding Velta of how precarious their situation is. As Velta is giving birth, her father becomes aggressive towards Werner for bringing such a fate to the family- calling him a ‘fascist.’ “I am not a fascist I’m a solder!” he replies. Yet the father’s aggression ends as he hears the cries of his granddaughter, Biruta.

Father and mother debate on what to do; what will they say about the child if the Russians ask? It is decided that the child will temporarily live with Veltas older sister. A KGB agent arrives at the home. He is assisted by the boy who was fond of Velta. They are looking for ‘bandits,’ yet they count the number of residents in the home. Later, Velta meets the boy as she does errands in town. He tells her that she has to be away from home tonight; that something will happen.

Velta and Werner spend the night away from home and in the morning she runs to her sister’s house. She meets an old lady, who tells that the whole family, including Biruta, have been sent away somewhere. Biruta arrives at her sister’s house to see, from afar, that KGB representatives are sorting and inventorying the family’s personal belongings. Velta goes to the train tracks, where a train passes. From livestock cars, paper notes are thrown out of the windows (It is March 25, 1949, the date of the second mass deportation of Latvians).

Seasons change and Veltas father goes to town to ask of his older daughter’s fate, yet he has no answer. Velta and Werner have another child. Veltas father and Werner have a serious conversation about the fate of the family. The KGB boy meets Velta again, he tells her he want to help. Velta returns home to find Werner wedding ring on a chain next to their new-born child. We see Werner ascending the stairs of the local KGB office, to turn himself in. At home, Veltas father overcome by the circumstances begins killing the family’s livestock, convinced they will be deported and will need the food.

In the present, Velta finally arrives to her extended families home in Latvia. She is fondly greeted with music and flowers. She is introduced to Birtua, he daughter. She sincerely embraces her, yet says nothing. Later they sit down to speak. Biruta shows photos from Siberia. “This is the last photo of mother, before her death” she says. Velta plays along, “look how beautiful your mother’s hair was.” “She died in the summer, so luckily we could bury her,” Biruta adds.

The party has ended and Velta gets in the car to leave. Biruta comes out with her youngest boy in her arms. As the car leaves she says to the boy, “wave goodbye to your grandmother.” Suddenly, the scene of them waving goodbye to Veltas car changes from black and white to colour. The film end.

Roles[edit]

Astrīda Kairiša un Baiba Broka - Velta
Ints Jurjāns - Verners
Anna Eižvertiņa - Velta's mother
Juris Pļaviņš - Velta's father
Uva Segliņa - Irma
Dainis Porgants un Arno Upenieks - Eidis
Juris Lejaskalns - Krilovs
Ilze Pukinska - Lida
Skaidrīte Putniņa - Ramona
Zigrīda Stungure - Aunt
Aivars Bogdanovičs un Kristaps Pūce - Arnolds
Indra Briķe - Biruta

Filming crew[edit]

Film Director: Dzidra Ritenberga
Scenario author: Dagnija Zigmonte
Operator: Gvido Skulte
Composer: Ungars Savickis
Artist: Gunārs Zemgals
Director of Sound: Igors Jakovļevs
Editing Director: Inese Brušteina
Costume Designer: Elvīra Vantere
Makeup Artist: Rasma Prande
Editor: Austra Zīle
Director: Gunārs Sops

Interesting Facts[edit]

Actress Baiba Broka in 1990 received the film festival "Lielais Kristaps" award for best actress.

External Links[edit]

National Cinema Center

Video[edit]

"Valsis mūža garumā" 1. sērija (krievu valodā) on YouTube

"Valsis mūža garumā " 2.sērija (krievu valodā) on YouTube

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