The Chimney

Laila Pakalniņa / Latvia / 2013 / Central European Premiere / 54 min.

synopsis

In a cluster of houses outside town, in the shadow of an old chimney, there live several light-haired girls. This light portrait of a unique children’s microcosm consists of scenes from daily life, in which most of the time is spent exploring one’s surroundings, playing, and asking curious questions on various subjects. With her extreme sense for detail, the director convincingly captures the poetry of the everyday. The result is a fresh and humorous look at a world surrounded by vegetation, wrecked cars, and puddles that is ruled by spontaneity, playfulness and the immediacy of children’s logic.

DETAIL:
I will give you something. I will give you a bag, okay? Don’t lose it! There’s nothing in it.

biography

Laila Pakalnina is one of today’s best known Latvian directors. The author of many award-winning fiction and documentary films, she originally studied TV journalism and then attended Moscow’s VGIK film school. Her earlier films include Ūdens (2006, Golden Bear at the Berlinale), On Rubik’s Road (2010) and Dream Land (2004, European Film Award).