Krustceļš

[The Path of the Cross] / [Ristin tie] / Homeland / Um Freiheit zu singen. LV (c) 1990 JPS Productions. PC: Jura Podnieka Studija, Channel 4 (GB), NHK Japan. D+SC: Juris Podnieks. DP: Andris Slapiņš, Gvido Zvaigzne, Juris Podnieks - IMAX 70mm 1,44:1. ED: Antra Clilinska. S: Anrijs Krenbergs. 64 min. A Betacam SP from the Latvian Embassy. English subtitles. Viewed at Cinema Orion, 24 March 2009. - A masterpiece on the Baltic liberation 20 years ago. Beautiful image and sound. - The bells. The old man in his log house. Archival footage of the song festivals of the past. The oldest conductor of the Baltic countries. Occupation footage. Reunions. Aerial footage of the song festival. Latvian choirs from many countries. Estonia: Saarenmaa, the occupation in 1940. -The deportations. - Interviewed: Miss Saarenmaa of 1931, taken to the Gulag. The Saarenmaa song festival of 1931. Once again she wears her ribbon. - Will the Russians leave? - WWII: 10% of the men conscripted. The veteran who is missing his other arm. - Saldus military test site. - Demonstrations: citizens vs. soldiers. - Siberia: Bulani village. - 10% of the Baltic people left for the USA. - The return from the Gulag. "With the eyes of an animal". Forgiveness. I wore a mask. We became actors. The bones of the deported. - The graveyard in Siberia. 200.000 from the Baltic are buried here. The repatriation of the dead. - The hill of the crosses. The masses under their umbrellas. - Lithuania: the cross is an ancient symbol of power. - The hill of a million crosses. Although it was rolled over, it rose time and again. - The KGB opened all foreign mail. - The path of the cross. - The huge bust of Lenin is rolled down. - The Baltic countries have been put down. - 1990: the Supreme Soviet: the debate on independence. 53% of the people in Latvia are non-Latvians. - Every 10. Latvian belongs to the Red Army. - Police violence against the peaceful demonstration. - Water of life, water of death. - The camera rises to an aerial shot of the huge song festival. - Two cameramen were later shot by Red Army snipers, and the director died in a car accident.