The Final Bell. Documentary, Latvia, 2014
Director: Alise Zariņa
They are few in number, with only one or two pupils in some classes, which means that the school is more like a large family than a teaching institution. When the younger generation leaves, this place, close to the border with Russia, deep in the Latgale region, will become vacant. But the closing of small schools follows a logical pattern, and it seems there is really no alternative.
This is an intimate story about a national-level issue. The story focuses on three sisters, girls from three generations, whose lives will change abruptly in the very near future. Through their everyday lives and little adventures, we try to understand what is behind the dry assertion that “the countryside is dying out”. And we can see some hope.
LSM marks the return of its English-subtitled series of documentary films entitled Latvian Code and selected in an annual contest held by Latvian Public Television (LTV). This is the third feature of six for the year.