Catastrophe

drama, comedy, 26 minutes

Inspired by real Latvian politicians and their infamous remarks, the story revolves around Karlis Preiss, a Latvian parliament member. One morning, he wakes up to find himself embroiled in a scandal due to what he initially considered harmless comments made during a TikTok video interview. Desperate to escape the relentless press, Karlis seeks refuge in an Airbnb, where he spends the day attempting to manage the crisis, but ultimately exacerbating the situation. Over the course of a single day, he loses his family, his business associates, and his government position, all because he couldn't simply remain patient and wait things out.

Catastrophe is a somewhat ironic look at the modern cult of the non-stop news cycle, influencers, fake news, social networking, and constant communications. It is also a story of toxic male chauvinism, and the way it is still prevalent in the Latvian society. The story is directly inspired by actual members of Latvian parliament and their infamous comments on the role of a woman in the modern world.

Lauris Dzelzitis is one of the most talented actors in Latvia today. In 2021 he received the Latvian National Film Award as the Best Supporting Actor for his role of Lenin in Davis Simanis' highly acclaimed film The Year Before the War (Gads pirms kara). In my film Lauris depicts Karlis Preiss, a member of Latvian parliament, who finds himself in a storm of his own creation. In the course of a single day Karlis essentially destroys his life. He is not a good man, but he's not such a horrible monster as he gets portrayed in the media. So, in the end, it's a dramatic story of one man rapidly falling down from his pedestal into a puddle of mud. For his role of Karlis Preiss in Catastrophe Lauris was nominated as the Best Male Lead for the Latvian National Film Award Lielais Kristaps. The film itself was also nominated for the award as the Best Short Film.

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