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On 15 October, the Riga International Film Festival (RIGA IFF, 15\u201325 October) will open with a film of particular significance to Latvian cinema \u2013 Danish director May el-Toukhy\u2019s latest film,\u00a0<\/b>Woman Unknown<\/b><\/i>, 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\u2019s future amid the turmoil of the post-war years. Tickets for the festival\u2019s Opening Night are available at\u00a0<\/b>rigaiff.lv<\/b><\/a>\u00a0and through Bi\u013ce\u0161u Serviss.<\/b><\/p>\n In keeping with RIGA IFF\u2019s tradition of opening each edition with a Latvian-made film or co-production, the festival\u2019s 13th edition will open with director May el-Toukhy\u2019s historical drama\u00a0Woman Unknown<\/i><\/a>\u00a0(Kvinde ukendt<\/i>), 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\u2019s RIGA IFF Opening Night film, Festival Director Liene Treimane says:<\/p>\n 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 \u2013 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\u2019s 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.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n May el-Toukhy is known to audiences as the director of several episodes of the Netflix series\u00a0The Crown\u00a0<\/i>(2016\u20132023). Her latest film, a drama filled with tension and empathy, centres on a woman who takes a risk and provokes society\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Woman Unknown<\/i>\u00a0is produced by\u00a0Nordisk Film<\/i>\u00a0in Denmark and Sweden in co-production with Latvia\u2019s\u00a0Nafta Films<\/i>. The production brought together a substantial team of Latvian film professionals, including co-producer Madara Kalni\u0146a, second production designer K\u0101rlis Utin\u0101ns, costume designer J\u016blija Volkin\u0161teine, Latvian casting and extras director Marta Dzene, production sound mixer M\u0101rti\u0146\u0161 Rozent\u0101ls, gaffer Aleksandrs \u010cerka\u0161ins, Latvian production manager Agate Prozorovi\u010da, Latvian location manager Ingr\u012bda Nagle, script supervisor Anna Bijubena and photographer Andrejs Strokins.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is especially rewarding that, following its world premiere in Venice, the film will meet its Baltic audiences here in Riga \u2013 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\u2019s journey \u2013 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\u2019s contribution, and I hope local audiences will appreciate both the film\u2019s emotional power and the work of the Latvian film professionals who helped bring it to life.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n says\u00a0Woman Unknown<\/i>\u00a0co-producer Madara Kalni\u0146a ahead of the film\u2019s Baltic premiere at RIGA IFF.<\/p>\n The Baltic premiere of\u00a0Woman Unknown<\/i>\u00a0will 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\u00a0rigaiff.lv<\/a>\u00a0and through Bi\u013ce\u0161u 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.<\/p>\n The biggest celebration of cinema in Latvia, RIGA IFF, will take place from 15 to 25 October at the festival\u2019s home, Splendid Palace, as well as Forum Cinemas, the National Library of Latvia, the Rothko Museum in Daugavpils, Kino C\u0113sis, Siguldas devons and other venues. Over 11 days and more than 100 screenings, the programme, guided by the motto \u201cYOU ARE HERE\u201d, will serve as a reliable guide beyond the familiar film landscape, inviting audiences to discover unique stories, vivid emotions and highlights of contemporary cinema.<\/p>\n Follow festival news at\u00a0rigaiff.lv<\/a>\u00a0and on RIGA IFF\u2019s social media channels, or\u00a0subscribe to the RIGA IFF newsletter<\/a>. RIGA IFF is made possible with support from the State Culture Capital Foundation, the EU programme \u201cCreative Europe \u2013 MEDIA\u201d, Riga City Council, the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, and the National Film Centre of Latvia.<\/p>\n <\/p>","bs_screenings":null,"bs_imported_date_0":null,"bs_imported_time_0":null,"bs_imported_date_1":null,"bs_imported_time_1":null,"bs_imported_date_2":null,"bs_imported_time_2":null,"sorttime":"","sortdate":"","bs_id0":null,"bs_id1":null,"bs_id2":null,"custom_additional_content_small":null,"link":"https:\/\/rigaiff.lv\/en\/news\/spriedze-un-noslepumi-riga-iff-atklas-venecijas-galvena-konkursa-filmas-nezinama-sieviete-baltijas-pirmizrade\/","original_title":null,"director":null,"country":null,"year":null,"festival_year":null,"runtime":null,"languages":null,"sub_languages":null,"description":null,"images":false,"in_cinemas":null,"on_demand":null,"not_available":null,"rights_expiry_date":null,"online_only":null,"poster":null,"price":null,"eyelet_embed":null,"available_until":null,"geographical_availability":null,"synopsis_preview":null,"trailer_url":null,"custom_supporter_title":null,"supporter":null,"available":null,"geographical_availability_custom_short":null,"geographical_availability_custom_long":null,"subtitle_language_online":null,"cinesend_id":null,"online_price":null,"online_bs_id":null}\n
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