International research conference "Poetics and Politics of History in Film and Theatre"

From November 29 until December 1, 2019, the Latvian Academy of Culture is organizing the international research conference "Poetics and Politics of History in Film and Theatre", which will focus on in-depth analysis of how the history and people of both Latvia and the Baltic Sea Region have been portrayed and interpreted in audiovisual and performing arts. Visitors of the conference will be able to hear presentation from researchers and practitioners in the fields of audiovisual and performing arts, history and semiotics from countries, such as, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Finland, France, the United States, Russia, etc. In the spotlight of the conference will be the works of audiovisual and performing arts created in the framework of the centenary programme in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Finland.

The conference will include several events, including intensive session work, screenings of the films from the centenary programme, workshops, discussions as well as special guest-lectures by the world-renowned theatre theorists Joe Kelleher and William Howard Guynn. The presentation of two new books will also be included in this conference: “People and Events in Latvian Lands from the end of the Ice Age to the Latvian State” by prof. Raimonds Briedis (The Latvian Academy of Culture / Neputns, 2018) and "Unspeakable Histories: Film and the Experience of Catastrophe” by William Howard Guynn (Columbia University Press, 2016).

From Thursday, November 29 until Saturday, December 1 at the Theatre House of the Latvian Academy of Culture “Zirgu Pasts” (46 Dzirnavu Street) – The Break-out Sessions of the conference

During the break-out sessions visitors will have the privilege to hear world-renowned experts in the field of theatre and audiovisual arts such as the theatre historian and professor emeritus of the Sonoma State University William Howard Guynn, theatre theorist and professor of the Roehampton University in London Joe Kelleher, theatre theorist Patrice Pavis, publicist and professor of culture semiotics at the Tartu University and Tallinn University Mihhail Lotman, lecturer at the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts Pavel Rudnev, asoc. professor of the Tallinn University and assistant professor at the University of Aalto Jarmo Valkola, film theorists and researcher from the Humboldt University Barbara Wurm, film director and lecturer at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre Audrius Stonys et al.

From Latvia visitors will have the opportunity to hear professor of the Latvian Academy of Culture Daina Teters, theatre critic and professor Valda Čakare, playwright and scriptwriter Matīss Gricmanis, professor at the University of Latvia Ieva Kalniņa, head of the Department of Performing Arts of the Latvian Academy of Culture asoc. prof. Zane Kreicberga, professor at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music Jānis Kudinš, theatre critic Atis Rozentāls, theatre critic and asoc. professor of the Latvian Academy of Culture Līga Ulberte and theatre theorist Ingrīda Vilkavse. While the field of audiovisual art will be represented by the curator of the experimental film festival “Process” Lāsma Bērtule, film theorist and professor at the University of Latvia Viktors Freibergs, head of the National Film Centre of Latvia and film critic Dita Rietuma and film director and asoc. professor at the Latvian Academy of Culture Dāvis Sīmanis.

The thematic range of the conference presentations is exceptionally wide starting from such fundamental categories as the style and aesthetic revision of the performing arts and the reproduction of past events into historical stories to the representation of such notable historical figures as Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin.

From Thursday, November 29 until Saturday, December 1 at the cinema house "Splendid Palace" (61 Elizabetes Street) – The Centenary Film Programme of the conference including four of the latest films from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland.

On November 29 at 18:00 the programme will be opened by the Latvian film “Exiled” (Dāvis Sīmanis, 2016). In the focus of the film is the blunt existence of post-war societies in the context of the First World War. While at 20.00 visitors will have the opportunity to see the work of Finnish film director Anti Jusi Anil "The Eternal Road" (Ikitie, 2017). Based on the novel by Anti Turi "The Eternal Road" the film tells the story of a young union activist who has returned to Finland after years of work in America at the beginning of the 1930's.

On November 30 at 18.00 visitors will have the opportunity to see the film by Estonian film director Moonika Siimets “The Little Comrade” (Seltsimees laps, 2018), which was already premiered in Riga IFF 2018 and has received the title of the most popular film in Estonia this year. Film screenings of the conference will close with the Lithuanian film by Andrius Juzen "Owl Mountain" (Peledu kalnas, 2017), which focuses on the story of Kaunas city occupied by the Soviet forces from 1947 to 1951.

On November 29 and on December 1 at the Theatre House of the Latvian Academy of Culture “Zirgu Pasts” (46 Dzirnavu Street) – the presentations of two new books

On November 29 at 16:00, professor William Howard Guynn will present his latest book on the staging of historical events and the materialization of traumatic experiences in the form of audiovisual works "Unspeakable Histories: Film and the Experience of Catastrophe” (2016, Columbia University Press).

However, on December 1 at 17:00 participants of the conference will have the opportunity to attend the presentation of the book "People and Events in Latvian Lands from the end of the Ice Age to the Latvian State" (2018, Latvian Academy of Culture / Neputns) with the introductory words by the authors - Raimonds Briedis, Zane Gailīte, Juris Goldmanis, Zane Grigorovich, Māra Grudule and Liga Ulberte.

In addition to the conference programme, all visitors will have the opportunity to attend lectures, workshops and discussions by several notable presenters of the conference.

To register or find out more about these events please contact Dārta Ceriņa cerina.darta@gmail.com. 

Entrance to all events of the conference is free of charge!

The conference is organized within the framework of the European Regional Development Fund project "The Development of Research Activities at the Latvian Academy of Culture". The conference is financially supported by the State Culture Capital Foundation, the Riga City Council and the US Embassy in Latvia