Berlin's 'Golden Bear' goes to Turkish film, but Liepāja cinema still only shows Hollywood blockbusters

This year's Berlin Film Festival was won by the Turkish political drama 'Yellow Letters', which tells the story of a director and actress who are banned from working due to their political views. Well, at least they have a reason - our local artists often get banned from working simply because they haven't paid their utility bills.

While 22 films competed for the 'Golden Bear' in Berlin, Liepāja's 'Balle' cinema still only offers three screenings per day, one of which is definitely another superhero movie. 'We'd love to show art house cinema too,' says cinema employee Inga, 'but people want to see explosions and fast cars, not Turkish politics.'

It's particularly amusing that the festival jury was headed by Wim Wenders himself - the director who once filmed 'Wings of Desire' over Berlin. He probably doesn't know that the skies over Liepāja are much more dramatic than those over Berlin, we just don't have the money to make an artistic drama about it. Our dramas happen in Karosta, and they're real, not fictional.

Meanwhile, Riga is probably already planning its own film festival to prove that the capital is a cultural center. But we know - the most interesting films are shot by the sea, where there are real emotions and an authentic environment. Not among those concrete towers.