EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
2007 – now Theater and film director, editor, photographer, play and scriptwriter
2020 - now a member of the Consulting board for the Theater at the Ministry of Culture of Latvia
2018 - 2019 Expert at the National Film Center of Latvia
2016 - 2019 Lecturer for the Lavia Academy of Culture
2015 - 2017 Expert at Culture Foundation of Latvia
2007 - 2015 Artistic leader of the creative association « Nomadi »
2010 - 2015 Artistic director of International Theater Festival for Young Audiences “NoMadI”
2004 – 2007 Creative director, McCann – Erickson Riga,
2002 – 2004 Copywriter, Creative Laboratory
1996 – 2004 Lecturer, University of Latvia
EDUCATION
2012 - 2017 PhD studies, Academy of Art, Latvia
2011 Master of Arts, film directing, Academy of Culture, Latvia
1996 Master of Philosophy, University of Latvia
1993 Bachelor of Philosophy, University of Latvia
1978 – 1989 High school Nr. 64 of Riga
MASTERCLASSES AND RESIDENCIES
2024 - 2025 artist in the international network “Green Streets of Europe ”
2023 - 2025 artist in the international network “Beta Circus”, applying the participatory arts methodology to the contemporary circus scene
2016 - 2018 artist in the program Urban Heat http://urbanheat.co/about
2014 workshop "Mobile Academy", Terni Theatre Festival, Italy
2013 workshop "Baltic circle", Krakow theatre festival "Reminiscence", Poland
2011 – 2012 International workshop cycle for Theater professionals Band Expanded
2006 International artist residence in Paris
2006 International Summer School of Photography, Ludza, Latvia
2004 - 2006 Masterclasses of prose and poetry, Academy of Literature, Latvia
AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS (Films and theatre productions)
2024 National Film Award nomination - Best director of Animation and the best Animation for the animation film cycle “Wardrobe of Wonders”
2024 National Film Award nomination - best documentary director for the film “Tango of Life”
2023 Nominations for the National Theater Award for performance “All Birds Sing Beautifully”
2022 National Film Award nomination - Best director of Animation and the best Animation for the film “Wardrobe of Wonders”
2021 National Awards in Theater for performance “My Neighbor Jew”
2020 National Awards in Theater for performance "The Immorals" - the Best Play for the Young Adults and Best Dramaturgie. Nominations - Best Director, Best Scenography, Best Music, Best Video
2020 National Film Award - nomination for the animation film "Dust Fairies" - Best Animation Artists
2017 National Film Awards for the documentary film "The Fairytale of Empty Space" - Best Documentary Director, Best Animation, Best Cinematographer. Also nominations for Best Documentary Film, Best Editor, and Best Scriptwriter.
2017 National Theater Award for the performance "The Borders".
2016 nomination for the award “1 kg of Culture”, performance "The Borders"
2014 nomination for National Film Award for the documentary film “Māra” as the Best documentary film, Best Director. Awarded for the Best music.
2014 nomination for the award “1 kg of Culture” in the position “Best film” for the documentary “Māra”
2014 nomination for the National Award in Theatre for the play “Winter House” as the Best play for Kids
2012 nomination for the award “1 kg of Culture” in the position “Most surprising cultural évent” for the project “Rooms of Memories”
2010 nomination for the National Award in Theatre for the play “Island of Summer” as the Best play for kids
2009 nomination for the National Award in Theatre for the play “Battle at… “ as the Best play for Youth
2009 National Film Award “Big Christopher” The Best Documentary Film “The Ebb|
2009 nomination for the National Award in filmmaking for the documentary film “The Fifth Hamlet” as the Best Documentary Film, Best Debut and best work in Culture 2009
2007 – national award in photo art for the word “Dreamers"
PARTICIPATION IN FESTIVALS (Films and theatre productions)
Performance “The Notes of Survival”, Valmiera Summer Festival, 2024
Documentary “Life of Tango” Riga IFF 2024
Animation cycle “The Wardrobe of Wonders” Riga IFF, Lubec Nordic Film Festival, Anima Brussels Animation film festival
Performance “All Birds Sing Beautifully”, Homo Novus festival, 2023
Performance “The End of the World and Other Nonsense”, Valmiera Summer Festival, 2021
Performance "...trees have stopped talking since then", International New theatre festival Homo Novus, Riga, 2020
Performance “Nocturne” - Theater festivals LIFT (London), Homo Novus (Riga), Spectacular (Reykjavik) , 2018
The documentary “The Fairytale of Empty Space" - Turner ART Film Festival, Hungary, 2018
“You opened me with the knife” - Riga IFF Music videos competition programme, 2018
“The Fairytale of Empty Space" - Riga International Film Festival feature films competition programme, 2018
Documentary “Māra” Umeo Europe Film Festival, 2014
“Summer Island” “De Betovering”, The Hague, Netherlands, 2011, ASSITEJ 17th World Congress, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2011, “De Stilte”, Breda, Netherlands, 2011, “NoMadI”, Latvia, 2010, 2014
“ House of winter”, “Baltic theatre festival”, 2014, “Nomadi” theatre festival 2014
“Lost without a Trace”, international theatre festival Homo Novus, Riga, 2013
“Battle by..” “The Golden Mask” festival, “Mask plus” programme, Moscow, Russia, 2011, “Homo Novus” festival, Riga, Latvia, 2010.
“Field Broadcast” during the theatre festivals “Homo Novus” in Latvia, LIFT in London and “Wunderbar” in Newcastle 2011
SCRIPTS and DIRECTING
2024 Cocreation of performance “One, two, tree and now you are a tree”, Riga Circus
2024 Dramaturgy for the play “ Survival Notes”, Valmiera Drama-theatre
2024 Dramaturgy for the play “Jelgava 94”, Latvia Puppet theater
2023 Performance “All Birds Sing Beautifully”, Dirty Deal Teatro
2021 Performance “The End of the World and other Nonsense”, Valmiera Summer Theater festival
2020 Performance "trees have stopped talking since then", New Theater Institute
2019 co-author for the documentary “Tango of Life”, B&B Italy, VFS Latvia
2018 Performance “Nocturne”, LIFT, Homo Novus, LOKAL
2018 Documentary “The Song Festival of Oligarchs”, VFS
2018 Music video “You opened me with the knife”, Instrumenti
2017 Documentary "Tale about an empty space", VFS
2017 script and editing advisor for the film "To Be Continued”, director I. Seleckis, Mistrus Media
2017 Performance "Fortress", New Theater Institute
2016 Performance "The Borders", foundation "Dots"
2015 Documentary "Thinking School", ELM Media
2015 Documentary "Tales about an empty space", VFS
2014 Documentary “Mara”, producing company Nomadi
2014 Opening Performance for Riga – Cultural capital of Europe 2014 “The map of Roads”, produced by Riga New Theater Institute
2013 Play “The Winter House”, producing company « Nomadi »
2011 Documentary film “Future is the Present of past”, producing company «Nomadi»
2011 Play “All About Love”, producing company “Nomadi”
2011 Play “Crazy Boy” based on the novel by S. Edžus for Dailes Theater
2010 Play “Weddings. The story of unexpected love” for Latvia Puppet theatre
2009 Documentary “The Ebb”, producing company AWE
2009 Play “The Island of Summer”, producing company Nomadi
2009 Play “Battle at… “ for Liepajas Theater
2008 Documentary “The Fifth Hamlet”, producing company Nomadi
2008 Play “Small Man” based on E. Kestner's novel, producing company Nomadi
CROSS DISCIPLINARY ART PROJECTS and EXHIBITIONS
2024 participatory performance “Conversations with Trees”, Punctum Festival
2019 installation and book “Alphabet of Latvian Culture”, UNESCO, Paris, Rīga, Sigulda
2013 installation “Lost without a trace”, international theatre festival Homo Novus, Riga
2012 cross-disciplinarian art project « Rooms of memories », Riga
2011 International project “Field Broadcast” during the theater festivals “Homo Novus” in Latvia, LIFT in London and “Wunderbar” in Newcastle
2010 cross-disciplinarian art project “Stories of Grey Asphalt”, international contemporary art festival “Survival kit”, Riga
2008. 2009 personal cross-disciplinary art project « Witches of Riga » in Riga History Museum, Ventspils muséum, Cesu muséum, Liepaja gallery of art.
2008 group exhibition « 6X6 », Academy of Art, Riga
2007 group exhibition « 5X5 », Muséum of Photography, Riga
2007 group exhibition « The Diary of Photographer », International school of photography Andrejsala, Riga
2007 personal cross-disciplinarian art project « Tales of insomnia », Contemporary Art Center, Andrejsala, Riga
I am an artist who works in different fields of culture (theatre, documentary film, photography), but always the main question for me is cooperation with audience and making the space and time for conversation with spectators. I believe in art works, which are events in the people’s life, which create new experiences, wake up senses and provoke for thinking about our lifetime. Shortly – if artwork does not make deep and honest interest about life and humanity, it’s not interesting for me.
Built with Berta.me