Juris Podnieks
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Juris Podnieks (December 5, 1950 - June 23, 1992) was a Latvian film director and producer.
He graduated a Soviet film school in 1975, after which he started working at the Riga Film Studio. He became a director in 1979.
Podnieks's first film "Cradle" won an award at the Leipzig Festival. In 1981, his film "The Brothers Kokar" took the first prize at Kiev Youth Festival. Same year, his film "Constellation of Riflemen" won honours in the 17th All State Festival in Leningrad and the Latvian Komsomol prize. This was the film that gave Podnieks wide recognition within the Soviet Union.
Podnieks gained international recognition thanks to his movie "Is it easy to be young?". The film was an exploration of the Soviet youth, in which Podnieks managed to track down and talk to youngsters later convicted for criminal actions. This movie broke box-office records in the Soviet Union.
As the Soviet Union collapsed, Podnieks cooperated with British TV to give them first-hand insight on the events in Soviet Union. Over three years, Podnieks in collaboration with the British, filmed a five part documentary titled "Hello, do you hear us?". It showed civil unrest in Uzbekistan, survivors of an earthquake in Armenia, a worker strike in Yaroslavl and former residents returning to Chernobyl. The first film in the series was awarded the Prix Italia.
Later, Podnieks filmed movies that focused on the rising of nationalism in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. His movie "Homeland" was an account on folk festival in these countries when national songs were sung by massed choirs, after being banned by the Soviet regime for 50 years. While filming a follow-up to this movie, Podnieks and crew came under sniper fire during a coup in Riga. Podnieks was then beat up, his cameraman and long time friend Andris Slapins was killed and Gvido Zvaigzne, another collaborator and friend of Podnieks, died shortly of injuries. This material was captured on video and showed as an addition to "Homeland", and later as an introduction for the revised version of this film.
Juris Podnieks drowned during a diving accident on June 23rd, 1992.
