On 15 October, the Riga International Film Festival (RIGA IFF, 15–25 October) will open with a film of particular significance to Latvian cinema – Danish director May el-Toukhy’s latest film, Woman Unknown, shot in Riga. The psychologically charged historical drama, which will have its Baltic premiere on RIGA IFF Opening Night, is an elegantly crafted story of secrets from the past that threaten a young housemaid’s future amid the turmoil of the post-war years. Tickets for the festival’s Opening Night are available at rigaiff.lv and through Biļešu Serviss.

In keeping with RIGA IFF’s tradition of opening each edition with a Latvian-made film or co-production, the festival’s 13th edition will open with director May el-Toukhy’s historical drama Woman Unknown (Kvinde ukendt), which will celebrate its Baltic premiere at the festival. A collaboration between filmmakers from Denmark, Sweden and Latvia, Woman Unknown was shot largely in Riga and will have its world premiere in Venice on 6 September, becoming the first Latvian co-production to be selected for the prestigious Main Competition of the Venice Film Festival. Introducing this year’s RIGA IFF Opening Night film, Festival Director Liene Treimane says:

For Opening Night, we always look for a film that is an event in its own right. Woman Unknown brings together several qualities that are important to us – strong auteur cinema, the involvement of Latvian film professionals in a major international project, and a story that, although set in post-war Denmark, resonates very directly with the present day. The film explores guilt, shame and society’s need to find someone to punish, revealing how easily a collective desire for justice can turn into cruelty. We are immensely pleased to open RIGA IFF with a film whose journey leads from the film sets in Riga to the Venice Main Competition and then back to Riga, where it will have its Baltic premiere.

May el-Toukhy is known to audiences as the director of several episodes of the Netflix series The Crown (2016–2023). Her latest film, a drama filled with tension and empathy, centres on a woman who takes a risk and provokes society’s anger. The film takes viewers to newly liberated Denmark shortly after the end of the Second World War. As a young housemaid (played by Danish actress Mathilde Arcel) prepares to marry a wealthy older widower, she must do everything in her power to preserve her position as lady of the house, despite a shameful secret of her past threatening to catch up with her.

Woman Unknown is produced by Nordisk Film in Denmark and Sweden in co-production with Latvia’s Nafta Films. The production brought together a substantial team of Latvian film professionals, including co-producer Madara Kalniņa, second production designer Kārlis Utināns, costume designer Jūlija Volkinšteine, Latvian casting and extras director Marta Dzene, production sound mixer Mārtiņš Rozentāls, gaffer Aleksandrs Čerkašins, Latvian production manager Agate Prozoroviča, Latvian location manager Ingrīda Nagle, script supervisor Anna Bijubena and photographer Andrejs Strokins.

“It is especially rewarding that, following its world premiere in Venice, the film will meet its Baltic audiences here in Riga – the city where 25 of its 28 shooting days took place, with a large Latvian film crew working on set each day. After Venice, RIGA IFF Opening Night will mark the next major stop in the film’s journey – an opportunity for Baltic audiences to be the first to experience a film in which the Latvian team played such an important role. As co-producers, we are particularly proud of the team’s contribution, and I hope local audiences will appreciate both the film’s emotional power and the work of the Latvian film professionals who helped bring it to life.”

says Woman Unknown co-producer Madara Kalniņa ahead of the film’s Baltic premiere at RIGA IFF.

The Baltic premiere of Woman Unknown will take place on the first day of RIGA IFF, 15 October at 19.00, in the Large Hall of Splendid Palace. Tickets for Opening Night are available at rigaiff.lv and through Biļešu Serviss. The special Opening Night screening is also included in the Festival Pass, which gives its holder access to all RIGA IFF film screenings in Riga.

The biggest celebration of cinema in Latvia, RIGA IFF, will take place from 15 to 25 October at the festival’s home, Splendid Palace, as well as Forum Cinemas, the National Library of Latvia, the Rothko Museum in Daugavpils, Kino Cēsis, Siguldas devons and other venues. Over 11 days and more than 100 screenings, the programme, guided by the motto “YOU ARE HERE”, will serve as a reliable guide beyond the familiar film landscape, inviting audiences to discover unique stories, vivid emotions and highlights of contemporary cinema.

Follow festival news at rigaiff.lv and on RIGA IFF’s social media channels, or subscribe to the RIGA IFF newsletter. RIGA IFF is made possible with support from the State Culture Capital Foundation, the EU programme “Creative Europe – MEDIA”, Riga City Council, the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, and the National Film Centre of Latvia.