In-Person Screening: Saturday, November 9, 5 pm

Director Dāvis Sīmanis will present a Q&A following the screening.

Virtual Screenings: November 10-17

Maria's Silence (Marijas klusums)

Dāvis Sīmanis, 104 min, Latvia 2024

In Latvian, German, and Russian with English subtitles

North American Premiere

A powerful historical drama based on the true story of Maria Leiko, a famous actress who, late in her career, becomes a witness and victim to the brutal choices of the Stalin regime. In 1937, acclaimed silent film star Leiko travels to Russia after learning of the birth of her granddaughter. But when she discovers the tragic circumstances of her birth, she is persuaded by KGB agents to remain in the country — abandoning her cinema career to instead join Skatuve, the Latvian State Theatre in Moscow. But soon she discovers that she is being manipulated by the government amid its purges of political enemies. As a network of traitors, informers, and NKVD agents surround her, she is forced to choose between family and career, and between her ideals and the lies of Stalin’s totalitarian regime.

“Rich in historical references and complex visual poeticism…a beautiful and highly artistic take on the occupation and the regime behind it” (Cineuropa).

Festival & Awards History

2024 Berlin International Film Festival (World Premiere) and was awarded The Prize of the Ecumenical Jury

2024 Vilnius Film Festival Kino Pavasaris

2024 Maykolaichuk OPEN Film Festival, Ukraine

2024 IFF Art Film, Slovakia

2024 Odesa International Film Festival

2024 Jerusalem Film Festival

2024 Waterloo Historical Film Festival, Belgium