"The Sign Painter"

orig. Pilsēta pi upis

2020

Feature film

Director: Viesturs Kairišs

Producers: Guntis Trekteris

Screenwriter: Gunars Janovskis

Production: Ego Media, 8Heads Production, MagicLab, Artbox.

Characters with a Voice: Inside the Role

I saw the film for the first time at the premiere in Latvia. It was an interesting experience—and honestly, it surprised me. Watching myself on screen is still tough, but probably a little easier than it was after my very first debut. I feel like my journey is only just beginning. Working alongside legendary actors like Juozas Budraitis is an incredible opportunity. I try to learn as much as I can by watching how they work, even behind the scenes. One of the highlights for me was getting to drive a vintage Mercedes. As someone who loves history, that was a truly unforgettable moment.

About the film

"The Sign Painter"

Role:

Andreas

Ansis makes his living as a sign painter, a seemingly innocent trade, but very necessary for any authoritarian regime of the 1930s. Ansis is forced to cooperate: he paints the signs of his town first in green, then in red upon arrival of the communists and in black when the Nazis arrive. Meanwhile he is trapped in a love triangle. In love with the Jewess Zisla, whom he cannot marry for religious and social reasons, he meets a Latvian woman who steals his heart. Historical events transform the perspective of relationships. Zisla becomes a class enemy, a communist, and Ansis’s relationship with the two women becomes explosive when Zisla is hunted by the Nazis.

"The Sign Painter"

Official Movie Trailer