JA BIĻETES PĀRDOTAS TIEŠSAITĒ - PĒRC TĀS PIE IEEJAS
DOCUMENTARY FILM ABOUT THE NEW JAZZ SCENE IN LATVIA
Director Rihards Gēcis has created a short documentary film titled "Rokraksts" (Handwriting) about the new jazz scene in Latvia. The aim is to draw attention to its clear development and, at the same time, encourage jazz listeners to participate in the support campaign “Don’t Let Jazz Fall Silent” for the cultural space “M/Darbnīca.”
The film will be presented on January 10th at the only true jazz club in Riga, “M/Darbnīca,” whose continued operation also requires public involvement.
The film portrays both the musicians' off-stage everyday life and their concert activities, captured in an artistically captivating way by the lead cinematographer Toms Musts, along with the team. The footage includes fragments from the well-attended concert series "Brooklyn Jazz," which was nominated for the public media award "Kilograms of Culture." In these concerts, saxophonist Kārlis Auziņš focuses on John Coltrane, pianist Toms Mikāls on Thelonious Monk, and trumpeter Reinis Puriņš on the musical legacy left by Miles Davis. The film's voiceover is provided by Mikus Solovejs, and the producer is Maija Moira Mazanova.
"I have been following the active cultural life of 'M/Darbnīca' for some time and realized that there is, in fact, historical material right before our eyes and ears," says director Rihards Gēcis. "The 'Jersika Records' label has captured some of it in audio recordings, releasing the best on vinyl, but I turned to video recordings. As a result, a rich short documentary film was created, in which we tried to capture the unique spirit of the time, so it can serve as a testimony to future generations about the jazz handwriting of this era in Latvia."
PIRMIZRĀDE 10/01/25
@M/DŽEZAMĀJA
NEĻAUJ DŽEZAM APKLUST!
"With our own resources and the irregular support from state and local government institutions, unfortunately, it is currently insufficient to maintain a fully functioning jazz club," says creative director Maija Moira Mazanova. "That’s why we have launched a crowd-funding campaign, inviting anyone who cares about the development of Latvia's jazz scene to also support it financially. The film clearly demonstrates that we have perhaps created the strongest jazz environment so far, which also needs its own regular home, and 'M/Darbnīca' has become that home. Therefore, we are gradually transitioning to a new name for the cultural venue – 'M/Džeza Māja,' derived from the English 'M/House of Jazz.'"
Supporters of the well-established jazz club can contribute by visiting the website mdarbnica.lv/houseofjazz, where various rewards are offered. Next year, this cultural venue will celebrate its five-year anniversary and plans to offer a rich program. One of the first major events will be the premiere of Rihards Gēcis’ film "Rokraksts."
The film was made possible with the support of the VKKF (State Culture Capital Foundation).
