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Upurga

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Logline

A young rafting instructor takes a film crew to shoot a commercial in the river valley, but things take a wild turn when all his clients suddenly disappear. Now, he has to delve into the forest, fighting inner demons and exterior forces, to find the missing people – and himself.

Synopsis

Andrejs is an adventure guide who is afraid of real adventures. But that’s what he gets when his sister, an influencer, goes missing in the valley of a wild river, together with a vegan sausage advertising crew. Facing ancient forces of nature, Andrejs’ deepest anxieties awaken as he engages in a futile search that pushes his body and mind to the extreme. During his journey, the young man will meet locals such as a silent cabbage fermenter and a weird brotherhood of hunters who speak a language totally of their own. They are the protectors of a wondrous natural phenomena, haunting and beautiful at the same time. Andrejs doesn’t know that every path in this strange forest leads exactly to the thing you are looking for – but to find it, you must first get lost.

Technical Information

2021; Mythological thriller, Drama; Latvia; 85 minutes; DCP 4K, ProResHQ; Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1; Mix: 5.1; Original Language: Latvian, Lithuanian; Subtitles: English

Director
Uģis Olte

Written by 
Uģis Olte

Story by
Uģis Olte, Bojana Babič & Lucas Abrahão

Cinematographer
Valdis Celmiņš

Production Designers
Jānis Kalniņš, Lāsma Olte

Sound Designer
Artis Dukaļskis

Original Music 
Reinis Sējāns

Editor
Gatis Belogrudovs

Costume Designer
Jurate Silakaktiņa

Makeup Artist
Maija Gundare

Visual Effects
Nauris Ašenkampfs, Aigars Gercāns, Uģis Olte

Producers
Uldis Cekulis, Raitis Ābele

Production Company
VFS Films

Andrejs
Igors Šelegovskis

Eva
Inga Tropa

Matiass
Rihards Sniegs

Mara
Elvita Ragovska

Oskars
Reinis Boters

Inspector Salins
Morten Traavik

Ugis Olte

Uģis Olte = drummer → journalist → editor → director → writer = creative docs + music video + shorts + auteur TV formats + fiction.

FILMS

“Upurga” / writer, director (feature, 2021, 85’, VFS FILMS)

2018” / director / editor of one segment (documentary, 2018, 90′, VFS FILMS)

Liberation Day” / co-director, editor (documentary, 2016, 98′, VFS FILMS)

Double Aliens” / director, editor (documentary, 2015, 56’, VFS FILMS)

King Of The Wild Things” / writer, director (fiction short / music video, 2014, 7′)

Instrumenti. Procrastination Live” / director, editor (concert film, 2014, 80′)

“Birth Of Amber” / writer, director (video installation, 2014, 5′, VFS FILMS)

“Ramin” / editor (documentary, dir. Audrius Stonys, 2012, 58’, VFS FILMS)

“Snooze” / writer, director (fiction short, 2009, 3′)

“KK2678” / co-writer, director (fiction short, 2008, 16′, KFD)

The Red Spot” / co-writer, director (fiction short, 2008, 8′, KFD)

“Stuck In Stikine” / director, editor (documentary, 2006, 83’, KFD / VFS FILMS)

November 2021 @POFF, Black Nights Film Festival, Baltic competition

Fantaspoa 2022

Night Visions

Dundead

Crossing Europe

Slash Film Festival