Ceplis (1972)

1970s, HD, USSR

Set during the first period of independence for Latvia (1918–1940), the film’s plot revolves around a shrewd business man Edgars Ceplis, who establishes a clay brick business with the aim of exporting and building on his already considerable wealth. At first a fantastic success he soon becomes aware that his empire is crumbling beneath him due to a contamination of the clay, which makes the bricks unstable. He narrowly escapes defeat, however, by manipulating those around him, successfully extracting himself from the business before anyone discovers that there is anything wrong and the company collapses under a new director.

Based on the 1928 novel by Pāvils Rozītis, in the Soviet era this film was perceived as an ironic, amusing critique of bourgeois society. However, behind the humorous façade, viewers felt a nostalgia for the bygone era of Latvian independence. The film is a vivid testament to the professionalism of the stable and ambitious Latvian film industry at that time. The creative group had set high goals for the film’s cinematography and its dramaturgy of colour, while composer Marģeris Zariņš skillfully arranged musical motifs from a variety of eras. An interesting detail: Ceplis was filmed in the same year as The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie by Spanish director Luis Buñuel (1972) and reveals a perhaps unconscious but logical affinity with global trends in the classical cinema of its day.

Director: Rolands Kalniņš | Cast: Eduards Pāvuls, Gunārs Cilinskis, Helga Dancberga, Regīna Razuma, Aivars Siliņš