Bille, dir. Ināra Kolmane, 100′, Latvia/Lithuania/Czech Republic, 2018
A family film based on the book “Bille” by Vizma Belševica. This is a sorrowful but life-affirming and witty story, full of hope. It shows the process of maturing of a child and her attempts to come to terms with the world in late 1930s Latvia. Bille lives in a world where the poor have their streets and the rich have theirs. She has learned to cope with poverty but is deprived of her mother’s love; relatives take care of Bille but keep reminding her regularly that she is a good-for-nothing who won’t achieve much in her life…. This hurts Bille, but the girl has a dream – to prove herself and break loose from the bondage of feeling inferior. Bille’s personal growth passes through complex and tragic stages of Latvian history. The actual Bille – Belševica herself – managed to find her way in life. Dreams can come true.
