Stitched together out of archival footage and entries from Podnieks’ own diaries, the film reveals the life story of the visionary director – interwoven with the sources of his spiritual and physical strength, as well as emotionally rich visual and auditory symbols. In a first-person narrative, the documentarian’s notes, his work and footage come to life – particularly his ability to perceive the world almost with exposed nerve endings and to speak clearly about society, the epoch, the nation, and the individual.

A chronicler of his time, Podnieks was one of the most significant Latvian documentarians and personalities of the Awakening period, whose films – a mirror of the collapse of the Soviet empire and power – have moved audiences worldwide. Balancing between, in Podnieks’ own words, “documentary journalism and imagery driven to sensuality” in his films, the auteur sought to find answers to challenging questions about life and the history and future of his people in his short but brilliant creative career.