The Embassy of Latvia, together with the film's producers, is working with Latvia's Honorary Consuls and the Latvian- American communities in the United States to give American audiences the opportunity to see one of Latvia's most popular movies of all time.
Throughout 2008 and into 2009 the feature-length film "Rigas sargi" (Defenders of Riga) (2007) will be shown in various venues throughout the United States - the movie has English subtitles.
Atlanta, Georgia - Friday, February 27 at 7:00 p.m.
Cinefest Film Theatre
66 Courtland Street SE, Suite 240
Atlanta, GA 30303
404-413-1798
Admission: FREE
PAST SCREENINGS:
Poughkeepsie, NY – Saturday, April 5 at 1:15 p.m.
South Hills Mall
Silver Cinemas (Landmark Theatre)
1895 South Road
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
$15.00 (children free)
Indianapolis, IN - Sunday, April 27 at 3:00 p.m.
Greenbriar Cinema Grill
1289 W 86th Street
Indianapolis IN 46260
Tel: 317 254-8280
$15.00, children under 14 free
Washington, DC - Sunday, May 4 at 2:00 p.m.
Avalon Theater
5612 Connecticut Ave. N.W. (near Chevy Chase Circle)
Washington, DC
Boston, MA – Saturday, May 10 at 10:00 a.m.
The Circle Cinema
Cleveland Circle
399 Chestnut Hill Ave.
Brighton, MA 02135
Minneapolis, MN – Sunday, May 18 at 12:30 p.m.
Parkway Theatre
4814 Chicago Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55417
Contact: Visvaris Giga, tel. (651)644-0886
Cleveland, OH – Friday, May 30 at 6:45 p.m.
Cleveland Museum of Art
11150 East Blvd., University Circle
Cleveland, OH 44106
$10.00 and $8.00
Chicago, IL - Saturday, June 7 at 10:00 a.m.
Village Crossing Theater
Village Crossing Shopping Center, Touhy and Central Aves.
Skokie, IL
$15, $10 for students and pensioners
For more information call: 773-275-5273
Portland, OR – Tuesday, June 17 at 7:00 p.m.
Hollywood Theater
4122 NE Sandy Blvd.
Portland, OR 97213
Admission: $7.50
Chicago, IL - Saturday, September 13, at 10:00 a.m.
(Repeat Performance) Village Crossing (Crown)Theater
Village Crossing Shopping Center, Touhy and Central Aves.
7000 Carpenter Road
Skokie, IL
$15, $10 for students and pensioners
For more information call: 773-275-5273
Milwaukee, WI - Saturday, September 20 at 1:00 p.m.
5906 W. Vliet Street (Washington Heights neighborhood)
Milwaukee, WI
tel. 414.453.3128
Seattle, WA - October 4
Kalamazoo, MI - October 18 and 19
Washington, DC
European Union Film Showcase
Monday, November 16 at 8:30 p.m.
Wednesday, November 18 at 7:00 p.m.
AFI - Silver Spring, MD
8633 Colesville Rd
Silver Spring, MD 20910
(301) 495-6700
There will be an opportunity to meet Aigars Graube (Director) following the November 18th performance.
San Rafael, CA - Tuesday, January 20, 2009 at 9:00 p.m.
Smith Rafael Film Center
1118 Fourth Street (Between A & B)
San Rafael, CA 94901
For additional information please see: Rafael Film Center
"Defenders of Riga" dramatizes the events of November 11, 1919 – Lacplesis Day - a crucial date in the battle for Latvian independence. "Defenders of Riga" is a historical drama based on the events of November 1919, when in the aftermath of WWI, a part of the defeated German army still based in the newly independent Republic of Latvia, regrouped under the self-serving German General von der Golz. The rogue general, aided by Russian Colonel Bermont in initially masking the true identity of the aggressors from the Allies, ordered the renegade army of about 50,000 to attack Riga. His plan was to take over two of the diminutive Baltic States, Latvia and Estonia, and create a new Germanic state under his rule. Though vastly outnumbered, the Latvian army together with many non-military volunteers totaling some 11,000 men, miraculously managed to defend Riga by pushing back and defeat the Germans.
Released in November 2007, the film is not only the most ambitious feature-length production in the history of Latvian cinema, but also the highest grossing box office film to be released in Latvia. A cinematic experience not to be missed.
Recent reviews of Defenders of Riga:
Dita Rietuma, Latvian newspaper "Diena"
"Titanic has been defeated! With a record number of viewers (139,442), Rigas sargi has become the most-watched Latvian film of all time. 2007 was a unique year for the Latvian movie-exhibition business. For the first time since the early 1990s, when attendance records were first compiled, a Latvian film has become the most-watched film in Latvia. Rigas sargi, with 139,442 viewers, has beaten the record set in 1997 by the film Titanic. In so doing, Rigas sargi has proven the national cinema’s potential for addressing a large audience."
Arno Jundze, Latvian newspaper "Latvijas Neatkariga Rita Avize"
"A beautiful saga that features a conditional interpretation of history (after all, the film isn’t a history book), an unequivocally clear ideological setup (freedom, independence, individual responsibility), and the striking of a patriotic chord, utilizing even a seemingly banal technique: narration. But it works! While watching Rigas sargi, three films came to mind: the galactic war saga Independence Day, James Cameron’s Titanic, and the Babe series. The producers of Rigas sargi have not tried to reinvent the bicycle. The film is heartfelt, almost like a fairytale, and features a catchy musical motive, which evokes Celine Dion’s ‘My Heart Will Go On. “Rigas sargi recalls a truism: it’s not a deadly sin to be liked by audiences. This is a film for the people."