To Be Continued

Five children from all over Latvia attend their first year of school. Glebs and Zane both live in Riga; Kārlis is already helping out on the farm after school; with her mother working in the UK, Anete is growing up with her grandmother; and Anastasia needs to take a long path through the woods to catch the bus to school. The children are filmed at home, on their way to school, in the classroom, at music lessons and in their free time. In addition to giving an impression of the children and their diverse backgrounds, To Be Continued offers a glimpse into the Latvian education system - which allows children a great deal of freedom and responsibility - while also presenting the stunning natural landscapes throughout the seasons. Memories of his own disturbed youth in the bleak 1940s prompted the now elderly director Ivars Seleckis to make this documentary, to capture how contemporary Latvian schoolchildren grow up. If it's up to him, this story will be continued. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)