Juris Podnieks
Encyclopedia
Juris Podnieks was a Latvia
n film director
and producer
.
He graduated from the Soviet VGIK
film school in 1975, after which he started working at the Riga Film Studio. He became a director in 1979.
Podnieks' first film Cradle won an award at the Leipzig DOK Festival
. In 1981, his film The Brothers Kokar took the first prize at Kiev
Youth Festival. In the same year, his film Constellation of Riflemen won honours in the 17th All State Festival in Leningrad
and the Latvian Komsomol
prize. This was the film that gave Podnieks wide recognition within the Soviet Union
.
Podnieks gained international recognition thanks to his movie Is it easy to be young?
. The film was an exploration of Soviet youth, in which Podnieks managed to track down and talk to youngsters later convicted for criminal actions. This movie broke box-office records in the Soviet Union.
As the Soviet Union collapsed, Podnieks cooperated with British
TV to give them a first-hand insight on the events in Soviet Union. Over three years, Podnieks in collaboration with the British, filmed a five part documentary titled Hello, do you hear us?. It showed civil unrest in Uzbekistan
, survivors of the earthquake in Armenia
, striking workers in Yaroslavl
and former residents returning to Chernobyl
. The first film in the series was awarded the Prix Italia
.
Later, Podnieks filmed movies that focused on the rise of national identity in Latvia
, Lithuania
and Estonia
. His movie Homeland was an account of folk festivals
in these countries when national songs which had been banned by the Soviet regime for 50 years, were sung by massed choirs. While filming a follow-up to this movie in January 1991, Podnieks and crew came under sniper fire during an attempted coup
in Riga
. Podnieks was then beaten up, his cameraman and long time friend Andris Slapiņš was killed and Gvido Zvaigzne, another collaborator and friend of Podnieks, died of injuries. This material was captured on video and showed as an addition to Homeland, and later as an introduction for the revised version of this film.
Four of his films received Latvian Film Prize as the best documentary of the year.
Juris Podnieks drowned in a diving accident on 23 June 1992.
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
n film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
.
He graduated from the Soviet VGIK
Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography
The Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography All-Russian State University of Cinematography named after S. A. Gerasimov), VGIK for short, is a film school in Moscow, Russia.-History:...
film school in 1975, after which he started working at the Riga Film Studio. He became a director in 1979.
Podnieks' first film Cradle won an award at the Leipzig DOK Festival
International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film
The International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film , also known as the Leipzig DOK Festival, is a film festival that takes place annually in Leipzig, Germany. It was founded in 1955 under the name "1st All-German Leipzig Festival of Cultural and Documentary Films" and was the...
. In 1981, his film The Brothers Kokar took the first prize at Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
Youth Festival. In the same year, his film Constellation of Riflemen won honours in the 17th All State Festival in Leningrad
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
and the Latvian Komsomol
Komsomol
The Communist Union of Youth , usually known as Komsomol , was the youth division of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The Komsomol in its earliest form was established in urban centers in 1918. During the early years, it was a Russian organization, known as the Russian Communist Union of...
prize. This was the film that gave Podnieks wide recognition within the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
Podnieks gained international recognition thanks to his movie Is it easy to be young?
Vai viegli but jaunam?
Vai viegli būt jaunam? is a Soviet-era Latvian documentary film directed by Juris Podnieks. It was filmed in 1986 with dialog in both Latvian and Russian, and is considered to be among the most controversial movies of its era...
. The film was an exploration of Soviet youth, in which Podnieks managed to track down and talk to youngsters later convicted for criminal actions. This movie broke box-office records in the Soviet Union.
As the Soviet Union collapsed, Podnieks cooperated with British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
TV to give them a first-hand insight on the events in Soviet Union. Over three years, Podnieks in collaboration with the British, filmed a five part documentary titled Hello, do you hear us?. It showed civil unrest in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
, survivors of the earthquake in Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, striking workers in Yaroslavl
Yaroslavl
Yaroslavl is a city and the administrative center of Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, located northeast of Moscow. The historical part of the city, a World Heritage Site, is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Kotorosl Rivers. It is one of the Golden Ring cities, a group of historic cities...
and former residents returning to Chernobyl
Chernobyl
Chernobyl or Chornobyl is an abandoned city in northern Ukraine, in Kiev Oblast, near the border with Belarus. The city had been the administrative centre of the Chernobyl Raion since 1932....
. The first film in the series was awarded the Prix Italia
Prix Italia
The Prix Italia is an international Italian television, radio-broadcasting and Website award. It was established in 1948 by RAI - Radiotelevisione Italiana in Capri...
.
Later, Podnieks filmed movies that focused on the rise of national identity in Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
and Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
. His movie Homeland was an account of folk festivals
Singing Revolution
The Singing Revolution is a commonly used name for events between 1987 and 1991 that led to the restoration of the independence of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania...
in these countries when national songs which had been banned by the Soviet regime for 50 years, were sung by massed choirs. While filming a follow-up to this movie in January 1991, Podnieks and crew came under sniper fire during an attempted coup
January 1991 events in Latvia
The Barricades were events that took place between 13 and 27 January 1991 in Latvia. Latvia, which had declared independence from the Soviet Union a year earlier, anticipated that Soviet Union might attempt to violently regain control over the country....
in Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
. Podnieks was then beaten up, his cameraman and long time friend Andris Slapiņš was killed and Gvido Zvaigzne, another collaborator and friend of Podnieks, died of injuries. This material was captured on video and showed as an addition to Homeland, and later as an introduction for the revised version of this film.
Four of his films received Latvian Film Prize as the best documentary of the year.
Juris Podnieks drowned in a diving accident on 23 June 1992.