The Year Before the War (Latvian: Gads pirms kara) is a 2021 surrealist historical thriller film co-written and directed by Dāvis Sīmanis. It is about the journey across Europe of Peter Piaktow, a foreign Latvian anarchist. It is a co-production between Latvia, the Czech Republic and Lithuania.
Contents
Synopsis
Shortly before the outbreak of World War I, Peter Piaktow attempts to unravel a conspiracy by traveling across Europe and meeting with communist leaders.
Cast
Petr Buchta as Peter Piaktow
Rudolfs Apse as Broz Tito
Lauris Dzelzitis as Lenin
Gints Gravelis as Trotsky
Eduards Johansons as Stalin
Edgars Kaufelds as Hitler
Ģirts Ķesteris as Freud
Daniel Sidon as Franz Kafka
Inga Silina as Alma
Igors Jakimenko as Lackey with a chair at the hotel
Production
Principal photography began in January 2019 and wrapped in late January 2020. Filming took place on location in Pļaviņas, Cinevilla, Riga, Sloka, Talsi and Praga.
Release
The Year Before the War had its world premiere on February 5, 2021, at the 50th International Film Festival Rotterdam, then screened on October 21, 2021, at the 8th Riga International Film Festival, on November 5, 2021, at the 29th International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography Camerimage, and on November 26, 2021, at the 25th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.
The film was commercially released on April 15, 2022, in Latvian theaters.