– The new film by Latvian director Viesturs Kairišs is a biographical drama based on the early life and career of world-renowned basketball player Ulyana Semjonova
Soviet Union, Latvia, 1964. Ulyana Semjonova, an Old Believer teenage girl nearing two meters tall, grows up on a faraway country farm. Her unusual height troubles her family, who wonder if there’s a place for her in the world. When her class photo reaches basketball coaches, Ulya is whisked to Riga to join famous basketball team. Struggling with her height and identity, she trains hard, but realizes basketball can’t fulfill her dream of a normal life. After fleeing home, Ulya discovers both vi llage life and basketball see her only for her height. Accepting herself, she faces a choice: hide or aim to be the best basketball player in the world.
This is the synopsis for Ulya, the newest feature by Latvian filmmaker Viesturs Kairišs, the world premiere of which is taking place in the Un Certain Regard section of the upcoming Cannes Film Festival (12-23 May).
Helmed by one of Latvia’s most internationally recognised filmmakers, Ulya is Kairišs’ sixth live-action feature. Known for works such as The Chronicles of Melanie (2016), The Sign Painter (2020) and January (2022), the director has built a reputation for fusing historical subject-matter with intimate, character-driven storytelling. His latest effort continues in this vein, but shifts towards a coming-of-age narrative centred on an iconic figure.
The director explains, “It all began with the actor Kārlis Arnolds Avots. When I invited him to join my theatre, it was our very first conversation in life. He told me that his dream was to play Ulyana Semjonova. At the time, we were talking about theatre. A few years later, while we were filming our previous film January, I listened as Kārlis passionately shared this idea with our cinematographer during a break. I listened — and suddenly realized this was not a theatre play, but a film. In theatre, the idea seemed achievable. In cinema, it felt impossible. And it was precisely at that point of impossibility that everything clicked for me. The filming process felt like a constantly interrupted dream. We searched for poetic solutions to reflect Ulya’s inner world, trying to enter her mind, her thoughts, her sensations — to be as subjective as possible. Paradoxically, the story evolved in the opposite direction: from something deeply personal into something universal. Ulya’s story became a story about all of us.”
Lead actor and co-writer Kārlis Arnolds Avots plays Semyonova herself, and as mentioned, also originated the project. The screenplay was co-written with Estonian collaborators Andris Feldmanis and Livia Ulman, while cinematography was handled by Polish DoP Vojtěch Staroň. Produced by Guntis Trekteris for Ego Media, the film is a four-country co-production, involving Pille Runk for All Film in Estonia, Magorzata Staron for Staron Film in Poland, and Ieva Norviliene at Tremora in Lithuania. Paris-based sales firm B-Rated International handles international sales.
Check out our exclusive poster below:
