Synopsis

Modris is just about 17 years old and already a heavily addicted gambler. He still lives at his mother’s place, who is in a permanent clinch with her son. Time and again he steals cash from her purse, overstraining his mother’s nerves even more day by day. When Modris eventually puts the electric heater in pawn during a deep and cold Latvian winter, her mood hits rock bottom. She decides to report him to the police to finally teach him a lesson he won’t forget so soon. A suspended sentence follows for Modris which surprisingly seems to affect him in an actually positive way. Having wandered through life aimlessly until now, the teen suddenly has a clear objective: He wants to find his missing father, who allegedly does time in prison. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Juris Kursietis’ bleak and dark drama convinces due to its socio-realistic style, entirely in the tradition of Ken Loach or the Dardenne brothers. Highly praised was also the amateur actor Kristers Piksa, “combining the authentically angular awkwardness of a genuine adolescent with flinty glints of a young De Niro or Depardieu.” As spectator one cannot but inevitably feel for the apparently lost anti-hero, who only himself stands in his own way. Inspired by a true story, the film was celebrated as best feature film debut in San Sebastian.