PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF LATVIA

Screening of celebration of Latvia’s Independence Day on November 18, The Rifleman covers the years from 1915 – 21, leading up to the establishment of the Republic of Latvia. It is told from the perspective of Artūrs (Oto Brantevics), a naïve schoolboy, who enlists in a riflemen battalion with dreams of becoming a hero. But after surviving the brutalities of trench warfare and the loss of his family, he finds himself disillusioned and forced to rebuild his life from scratch – just as his country, too, is being born from the atrocities of war.

The film – which was released in some countries as Blizzard of Souls – was Latvia’s submission to the Best International Film category at last year’s Oscars, and a record-breaking box office hit upon its release in the country.