It is hard to over-state the importance of Latvian Radio throughout the century of Latvia's statehood, and the documentary provides a fascinating overview of its history.
What started off as a piece of inspired entrepreneurship would repeatedly help determine the direction of history. Yet in its early days it met with considerable opposition: first from politicians, then from other media, and even from highbrow musicians and drama critics.
Then came the more insidious phenomenon of enforced ideological orthodoxy in an authoritarian state.
According to LTV "The Keys" series tells of the most important or "key" events, personalities and turning points in the history of the Latvian state from 1918 to the present. The purpose is to reveal each selected event from an unusual point of view, as if "unlocking the door" to lesser known and therefore particularly intriguing facts.
"Such an exploratory approach, bypassing the usual stereotypes of presenting history, will allow viewers to perceive what is known to others and to better understand what has happened in the context of today's experience," says LTV.
The show is made by VFS Films, a long-time partner of Latvian Television and it is hosted by Mārtiņš Ķibilds, a distinguished cultural journalist who sadly passed away late last year.
