Latvia Picks 'Ulya' for Oscar Bid
The black and white drama about a basketball legend has already become the year's top domestic film in Latvia.
By Kaito Sokolov ·
Latvia has selected 'Ulya' as its entry for the best international feature film category at the 2027 Academy Awards. The announcement positions the film as the Baltic nation's latest contender, following the 2025 victory of 'Flow.' Directed by Viesturs Kairišs, the film stars Kārlis Arnolds Avots as a female athlete. It recently premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival.
The narrative is inspired by the life of Uljana Semjonova, a two-time Olympic champion and three-time world champion. The black-and-white production follows her journey from a rural Old Believer community to the professional basketball circuit. Semjonova won 15 Soviet national championships and 15 European Champions Cups. She also secured Olympic gold medals for the USSR in 1976 and 1980 and became the first non-U.S. woman inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Commercial performance in Latvia has driven the film's momentum. It has recorded approximately 105,000 admissions since its release earlier this year. This figure makes it the most successful Latvian release in cinemas for 2026. It has outperformed major Hollywood titles such as 'The Odyssey' and 'Minions & Monsters.' Currently, it ranks as the second most successful film of the year in the country, trailing only 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day.' Kairišs described the result as an unbelievable success for a black-and-white art house film.
The project serves as a co-production between Latvia, Poland, Estonia, and Lithuania. Triin Tramberg, artistic director of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, noted that the collaboration demonstrates the potential of Baltic film industries to work together. She stated that co-productions help ambitious films reach global audiences and provide a stronger international presence for regional filmmakers. The film opens the 30th edition of that festival on Friday.
Kairišs developed the script with Avots, Livia Ulman, and Andris Feldmanis. Avots plays the lead role despite being a male actor. Kairišs stated that the casting was a package deal, noting that he was not interested in a traditional approach. He compared the project to Werner Herzog's work and cited Ingmar Bergman's 'Persona' as an aesthetic influence for the cinematographer, Wojciech Staroń. The director aimed to depict the protagonist's internal world rather than just external events.
Semjonova was a neighbor of Avots in Riga before her death in January. She trusted the production team, and the film ends with a photo of her and the actor. Kairišs said the story allows viewers to identify with the concept of hiding one's true self to meet modern standards. B-Rated International handles sales, while New Mountain Films acquired North American rights.
This marks Kairišs' third film to represent Latvia in the Oscar race. His previous entries included 'January' in 2022 and 'The Chronicles of Melanie' in 2017. The director noted that while the budget is small, audience response at screenings has been strong. The 2027 Oscars will be the next major milestone for the film after its festival debut.
