After seven minutes of applause at the Cannes Film Festival, actor Karlis Arnolds Avots is already preparing for his next major project — the Viking series "Bloodaxe" for Prime Video. Meanwhile, the film "Ulya" will continue its festival journey around the world before its autumn premiere in Latvia.
The premiere of the film "Ulya" at the Cannes Film Festival was one of the most notable events for Baltic cinema this year. After the screening in the "Un Certain Regard" competition, the audience applauded the creators for more than seven minutes.
The lead actor Karlis Arnolds Avots admits that the emotions experienced are hard to put into words.
"When the lights came on, I felt the ovation, and we all hugged — it felt like a big, warm embrace," the actor said in the program "900 Seconds" (TV3).
According to him, the entire festival seemed to split into two parts — before the premiere and after it.
"After the screening, people from different corners of the world came up and shared their experiences. It was very beautiful," Avots says.
The film by director Viesturs Kairišs was included in the "Un Certain Regard" program — one of the two main competition programs at Cannes. This year, it featured 19 films from around the world, distinguished by their authorial style and artistic boldness.
Avots considers the film's inclusion in this competition an important achievement not only for Latvia but for the entire region.
"All of the Baltics empathized with us," the actor notes.
He emphasizes that the project became the first co-production of the Baltic countries and Poland to participate in this program at the Cannes Festival.
The main theme of the film, the actor says, is human sincerity and the universality of the story of the legendary basketball player Ulyana Semenova.
"This is a story that every person can identify with," Avots believes.
He calls his role in the film one of the most important in his life.
"There won't be another story like this," the actor admits.
The Latvian premiere of the film is expected on September 15, after which the film will continue its participation in international festivals.
However, the actor has no time to rest.
Karlis Arnolds Avots is already preparing for the filming of the second season of the series "Bloodaxe" for Prime Video. For the role, he will need to gain 11 kilograms in a month and a half. Filming will continue in Ireland, and the events of the series will take place in Norway during the Viking era. The first season of the project is planned to be released in January.
"The year promises to be anxious and reckless. Just the way I like it," the actor says.
Karlis Arnolds Avots's success story shows that Baltic cinema is increasingly making its way to major global platforms — from Cannes to international streaming services.
