When Margarita Vilcāne sings, time stands still. When the sun sets, nothing else in the world exists. And here they are — two friends, Olafs and Ronis, spending a day in a seaside town. Hungover from the night before, Ronis decides to steal money from his father to buy marijuana and forget his troubles. Is there anything better than even a fleeting moment of total freedom? But the evening slowly gets out of hand, leaving the two friends to wonder: is it worth staying where you are when the next destination is not clear?

With its bright bravado, witty, pixelated and sentimental 3D animation, and woven-in glimpses of personal experience, Latvian animator and director Rudzītis has created a short film that echoes Kolka Cool (2011) by Juris Poškus. Indeed, the characters portrayed by Tomass Ralfs Ābolkalns and Kristaps Kristers Ozols do resemble the brothers Gvido and Andžs. However, Rudzītis’s story is more personal – he has captured a summer between finishing high school and embarking on adult life. “The film reflects on a moment in life that is often idealised, while for most people it is rife with uncertainty, anxiety, and pressure to make life-changing decisions,” the director himself adds. His short film Gaida (2024) screened at the Animateka Festival in Slovenia and was nominated for a Lielais Kristaps award for Best Student Short Film.