The Chronicles of Melanie

The Chronicles of Melanie (Melanijas hronika)
Friday, March 16 at 7:00 pm - Arts Court Theatre

Latvia - 120 min - dir. Viestur Kairish

120 Minutes - Latvian, Russian with English subtitles

14 June 1941, Soviet-occupied Latvia. Without warning, the authorities break into the house of Melanie and her husband Aleksandrs and force them to leave everything behind. Together with more than 15 000 Latvians, Melanie and her son get deported to Siberia. In her fight against the cold, famine, and cruelty, her only source of strength are the letters she writes to Aleksandrs, full of hope for a free Latvia and a better tomorrow. Based on the memoirs of Melānija Vanaga, Chronicles of Melanie is a terrifying account of the mass deportation of residents of Soviet-occupied Latvia, and the country's submission for Best Foreign Language film at the 90th Academy Awards.

“…a potent account of the human cost of Soviet ethnic cleansing in the Baltic region…The distorted sound creates a sense of delirium; the painfully slow movements of the malnourished women gives the film a nightmarish quality. Time slows down, both for the exiled Latvian women and also, at times, for the audience. It all amounts to a challenging viewing experience.” (Wendy Ide, Screen Daily)