From April 11, the Tet TV+ platform and from April 12, in Latvian cinemas, will be showing the multi-part feature film The Mutiny (Dumpis) by director Andrejs Ēkis, created by the studio "Cinevilla Films" - a suspenseful story based on real events about a heroic idealist-led rebellion against the Kremlin regime on a military warship in Riga in 1975. The film was supported by the National Film Centre competition with ERAF / REACT-EU funding.
"The war in Ukraine means that two civilizations are currently fighting each other in the world, and Cinevilla Films is trying to help reason prevail with this film – because one of the prerequisites for victory is the ability to recognize the enemy. Today's totalitarian regime in Russia is no different from the Kremlin of the Soviet era, the army's morals have not changed, but perhaps only a few idealists still see the tragic discrepancy between ideological slogans and the deplorable reality. History shows that Russia's unrestrained aggression tends to lead to a period of semi-collapse, during which strong people with new ideas can emerge and, possibly, change something," says the film's director, Andrejs Ēķis.
The multi-part film The Mutiny is based on historical events – in 1975, an attempted mutiny takes place on a Soviet warship, instigated by the ship's political officer, the naive idealist Sablin (played by Dainis Grūbe). The seven-part film depicts the gloomy stagnation of the Brezhnev era, everyday life in a communal apartment in Riga, the permissiveness of the Soviet nomenclature both within and outside the military system, and, in contrast, the main character's passionate, quixotic struggle for human rights and freedoms. It is an almost unbelievable turn of events in a totalitarian regime – one passionately convinced revolutionary is able to inspire the crew of a huge warship and lead them in protest against the system.
To dispel any nostalgia for the "good old Soviet times," the series also depicts everyday life and family relationships of that era, vividly portrayed by colorful female characters—the shy Nina Sablin (Elīna Hanzena), the fiery neighbor Rita (Inga Tropa), and the rebellious Latvian girl Katrīna (Agnese Budovska). Andris Keišs, Egons Dombrovskis, Lauris Dzelzītis, Jēkabs Reinis, Igors Čerņavskis, Kaspars Zāle, Ritvars Logins, Gatis Gāga and others also play vivid roles.
The film is directed by Andrejs Ēķis, with cinematography by Gatis Grīnbergs, screenplay by Ivo Briedis, Vitālijs Dokolenko and Andrejs Ēķis, production design by Maija Dzene, costume designer Sandra Sila, composer Rihards Zaļupe, sound director Andrejs Vaicahovskis, and producers Dita Cimermane, Aija Ansone, and Andrejs Ēķis.
The film was shot using real Latvian army warships in Riga and Liepāja, an icebreaker in the Port of Riga, and impressive sets depicting the interior of a ship, a 1970s communal apartment, cafés, and a fashion house. The film scenes were shot at the Cinevilla film studio, Viskaļi creative house, Andrejs Upīts' Memorial Museum, and other locations. Image processing and visual effects were created in collaboration with Ukrainian specialists.
The premiere of the first episode of the multi-part feature film The Mutiny is scheduled for April 10. The film will be available on the Tet TV+ platform from April 11 and in Latvian cinemas from April 12 (first The Mutiny: Part One, then The Mutiny: Part Two from May 1).
The production of the multi-part film The Mutiny is supported by the National Film Centre (ERDF / REACT-EU project "Growth of Latvian film industry companies by promoting their professional performance" No. 13.1.4.0/22/I/001). The film's co-producers are Tet and Cinevilla Films.
Contacts:
Aija Ansone,
Film producer,
+371 29558990
aija.ansone@gmail.com
(Translated with the help of DeepL Translate)
