Patrīcija Eiduka is one of the best cross-country skiers in the world. Alongside the commitment and perseverance of a young person, the film follows her family – her father, who has been preparing his daughter for the Olympic Games since a very early age, and her six brothers, who become priceless support – through the trials and imposed rules of the sports industry. Patrīcija takes us into the backstage of the sport – snowy, personal, intriguing.
Ernšteits, an experienced sports journalist, and documentary director and editor Kļava (Documentarian (2012)) grapple with the human and the superhuman in their portrait of Eiduka the skier. Stepping away from the predictability of sports dramas and athletes as “machines of willpower,” the film questions the way we are accustomed to seeing athletes on screen. Is there anything else beyond the starts, the competitions, and the invisible path of preparation? After all – what distinguishes a good athlete from one born to be exactly who they are?
To secure local screening rights for films from the RIGA IFF Collection, feel free to get in touch with us.