THE FILM

Director: Dzintars Dreibergs
Running Time: 120 min
Languages: Latvian, Russian, German, Estonian, French

Based on true events and the novel by Aleksandrs Grins, which was forbidden in the USSR, the film follows a coming-of-age story of a sixteen-year-old Arthur. After the loss of his mother, he enlists to fight in WWI with dreams of becoming a hero, but after surviving the brutalities of trench warfare and the loss of his family, he wonders if his efforts in battle were futile and if hope is only to be found in rebuilding a family and a home as Latvia itself is born from the atrocities of war.

THE DIRECTOR

With a master’s degree in economics and after several years of a stable international business career, Dzintars Dreibergs decided to follow his heart to become a filmmaker. Under the supervision of New York University professor and filmmaker Boris Frumin, Dzintars completed his film education at the Baltic Film and Media School in Tallinn, Estonia.

With his passion for making films about social change and the cultural inheritance of Latvia, Dreibergs made his feature directorial debut with Blizzard of Souls based on Aleksandrs Grins’ novel. The film has been a record breaker at the Latvian box office and continues to be embraced by audiences as well as international critics.

REVIEWS

“Blizzard of Souls derives its power from its strong, simple depiction of war seen through the eyes of an innocent 17-year-old soldier. …exceptionally atmospheric cinematography….”
Deborah Young, The Hollywood Reporter

“Blizzard of Souls is the top-grossing film of all time at the Latvian box office and if you had to guess at the kind of film that would inspire such nationwide enthusiasm, you’d guess it was something like this: a lavishly mounted, lion-hearted first world war epic based on a book banned by the Soviets for 60 years.”
Ellen Jones, The Guardian