Until March 15, a large-scale retrospective of poetic documentary cinema from the Baltic states — Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia — is taking place at the Pompidou Center in Paris. The program includes 52 films created in the second half of the 20th century. The cycle will open with the most famous work of Latvian director Juris Podnieks — the film "Is It Easy to Be Young?" (1986).
The program titled Poétiques baltes – Estonie, Lettonie, Lituanie started on January 7 and will run until mid-March. The curator of the cycle, French film scholar Arnaud Ie, explains that the choice of Baltic cinema from the 1960s to the early 2000s for screening in 2026 was made deliberately. According to him, the organizers do not aim to compare historical periods or assert the idea of the repetitiveness of history; however, these films clearly reflect parallels with the past and the current geopolitical tensions in the region — in countries bordering Russia, which has not abandoned its aspirations to restore its "empire."
Latvia is represented in the program by 17 documentary films made between 1961 and 1993. Among the authors are Juris Podnieks, Herz Frank, Aivars Freimanis, Ivars Seļickis, Ansis Epners, Ivars Kraulitis, and Dainis Kļava. Latvian films are screened alongside works by Lithuanian and Estonian directors.
After the screening of the opening film on January 7, a discussion titled "Latvian Documentary Cinema — From Poetics to Politics" took place at the Latvian Embassy in Paris. The moderator of the meeting was French film critic and director Sophie-Catherine Galle.
In February, Latvian film scholar Zane Balčus — head of the Baltic Sea Documentary Film Forum — will join the screenings and discussions. She will present the films and answer audience questions.
A separate section of the program at the Pompidou Center will be dedicated to the contemporary documentary works of director Laila Pakalnina. The audience will see the films "Spoon" (2019), "First Bridge" (2020), "At Home" (2021), and "End Points" (2024).
Laila Pakalnina will also personally visit Paris and meet with the audience. This block is titled "Laila Pakalnina. Return" — in memory of the large-scale retrospective of her films held at the Pompidou Center in 2019.
The Pompidou Center was opened in Paris in 1977 and is now considered one of the key centers of contemporary art in Europe. It attracts about 3.5 million visitors each year.
