Set amid the seemingly idyllic suburbs and beautiful forests of Latvia, this dramatic feature follows a scarred child being raised by his struggling grandmother. She tries to hide him from the town’s big secret — that her transgender stained-glass artist friend lives in a remote barn — but that’s who the bullied boy befriends, leading to both happiness and heartache.
Director Dace Pūce and producer Kristele Pudane recently answered some questions via email.
Why did you decide to portray this story? Any personal ties?
Dace Pūce: When I read the book by Jana Egle In the Light, I was deeply touched by all of the short stories written in it. And I was amazed, when I learned that all of them are based on true events. There were three stories written in such a cinematographic way that I fell in love with them and decided to use parts of them to write my own story for the film.