A melancholic view facing a mirror of water. It deceives the film’s protagonist, who wallows in longing and memories of his lost lover. The water here takes on the shape of a tear, a trickle through fallen leaves, the volume of a drink left undrunk in a bar, and the beauty of an oasis. Perhaps the unfortunate creature should follow the water, so that his beloved can be reborn?

The creative duo — director, screenwriter Ābele and cinematographer, director Šķēle — made their mark on last year’s RIGA IFF National Competition with 81 Meters (2022), which used a Super 8 camera to celebrate the sanctuaries of cinephiles, i.e. cinemas. Selected for this year’s competition, this film, which was shot on 16mm film, screened at the SHORT RIGA Test Screenings. The main characters of this poem of loss are brought to life by Gatis Maliks and Marija Linarte as the look-alike of Ophelia as painted by John Everett Millet.