28th THESSALONIKI INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL
5 MARCH → 15 MARCH 2026
5 MARCH → 15 MARCH 2026
31 OCTOBER → 9 NOVEMBER 2025
17 JUNE → 21 JUNE 2025
FFGR
Tribute to Laila Pakalnina


Latvia • 2001 • 10’• DCP • Color, B/W
A city is a frenetic place and a reason is needed for asking the people to stop for a moment and stand in front of the movie camera. The reason is some music by Mozart (a few instants of The Magic Flute). A man, a girl, a child, a couple of women, and a few young people put the earphones on and listen.


Laila Pakalnina graduated from the Moscow Film Institute (VGIK), Department of Film Direction, in 1991. A director and scriptwriter of 32 documentaries, five shorts, and six fiction features, altogether she has 43 films, two children, one husband, two dogs, and two bicycles; and many ideas for new films. Her films have been screened in official programs at Cannes, Venice, Berlinale, Locarno, Karlovy Vary, Rome, Tallinn, and other international festivals, where they have won numerous awards.
1988 Un | And
1990 Izvēle | The Choice
1991 Doms | The Dome (short)
1991 Veļa | The Linen (short)
1991 Iešana | The Pilgrimage
1992 Annas Ziemassvētki | Anna’s Christmas (short, fiction)
1993 Baznīca | The Church (short)
1994 Prāmis | The Ferry (short)
1995 Pasts | The Mail (short)
1995 Ubāns | Ubans
1997 Ozols | The Oak (short)
1998 Kurpe | The Shoe (fiction)
2000 Mostieties | Wake up (short)
2001 Papa Gena (short)
2002 Mārtiņš | Martins (short)
2003 Pitons | The Python (fiction)
2004 Būs labi | It’ll Be Fine (short)
2004 Autobuss | The Bus
2004 Leiputrija | Dream Land (short)
2006 Teodors | Theodore (short)
2006 Ķīlnieks | The Hostage (fiction)
2006 Ūdens | Water (short, fiction)
2007 Uguns | Fire (short, fiction)
2008 Par dzimtenīti | Three Men and Fish Pond (co-direction)
2008 Akmeņi | Stones (short, fiction)
2009 Klusums | Silence (short, fiction)
2010 Pa Rubika ceļu | On Rubiks’ Road (short)
2011 33 zvēri Ziemassvētki vecītim | 33 Animals of Santa Claus
2012 Sniegs | Snow Crazy (short)
2012 Picas | Pizzas (fiction)
2013 Četrdesmit divi | Forty Two
2013 Skurstenis | The Chimney
2014 Viesnīca un bumba | Hotel and a Ball (short) 2014 Īsfilma par dzīvi | Short Film about Life (short) 2015 Čau, Rasma! | Hi, Rasma! (short)
2015 Ausma | Dawn (fiction)
2016 Rumba | Waterfall (short)
2016 Sapnis | Dream (short)
2017 Zirdziņ, hallo! | Hello Horse! (short)
2019 Karote | Spoon
2020 Pirmais tilts | The First Bridge
2020 Spogulī | In the Mirror (fiction)
2021 Mājas | Homes
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