A chronicle of beach people and of coincidences. Estere spends her days by the sea selling ice cream. Trying to find peace, she listens to meditation podcasts and reads self-help books. Meanwhile, strangers caressed by the summer sun look for the same in tarot cards, fortified drinks, and the Bible. Estere starts to repeat their chit chat, slowly beginning to believe what they are saying.

A mournful passage of time where those you’ve met by chance and those you’ve long forgotten are destined to meet. Actress Elīna Vaska’s protagonist has a lot in common with characters from classic French director Éric Rohmer’s films: she listens to others, hoping to find the right direction, clues, and impulses in their words. Anna Ansone’s directing style is fluid and unhurried, allowing time for the viewer to see everything she has laid out. Discerning film history lovers will spot many references, including the chess game from Bergman’s The Seventh Seal (1957). The short screened in the Short Film Corner at the Cannes Film Festival.

Jury statement: A hypnotic tale with a strong female gaze with touches of subtle humour and unexpected encounters. This film is a tropical cocktail of esoteric guidance and familiar dialogues juxtaposed with magical realism, rhythmical repetition, and expressive body movements. A lonely, lost and confused protagonist tries to overcome her boredom and feeling of displacement through meditation and an awkward search for companionship. A fresh voice in the Latvian short film scene, the winner of the National Short Film Competition is Can’t Help Myself by Anna Ansone.