Anne Verhoijsen

Latvia 2003

During my stay in Karosta I was wake up very morning by young navy boys and every night they sing me into the bed. After some argumentations I was allowed to film them. The shoes were extra brushed and they song extra loud!
LATVIA
Short resume

This movie has been shot in Karosta. Karosta is an area north of Liepaja in western Latvia on the Baltic Sea. Karosta was constructed as a navel base for the Russian Tsar, and later served as a base for the Soviet navy, at the present it is a NATO base. When the Russian army left Latvia in 1994 after Latvian independence, Karosta became largely uninhabited and most structures fell to ruin.

I was staying there in a hostel just opposite this navel base. Every evening I heard them singing. After intense negotiations with the captain of the military base I was allowed to film them during their evening exercises. The song is an old Latvian song one of the so called Dainas. These songs belong to the very core of the Latvian identity and singing has become one of the identifying qualities of a Latvian.

The work The Butterfly existed after a read in the local paper and saw on the TV the inauguration from this work. At a Sunday a lot of local people went there to be photographed with it. It was a very special for the community. It gives me thought on Amsterdam where you have so many works and who sees it. Expect perhaps the tourist!

The third movie -Still Lenin- is the story of Selga. By seeing this statue she makes a travel back in time.