Self-made banker Boriss Osipovs achieves quick success immediately after the collapse of the Soviet Union, going from university professor to flamboyant millionaire. But when one venture goes awry, he flees Latvia to avoid arrest for illegal operations. Fifteen years later, his family receives a photograph from Interpol of an elderly man with a name they recognize — but this man resides in a Malaysian mental asylum. Could it be him? Making its North American Premiere at NYBFF,  My Father the Banker follows director Ieva Ozolina’s investigation into her father’s story to find out the truth about the man in the photograph, despite her family’s reservations. The result is an emotional and deeply personal documentary about a man who loses himself during times of great upheaval — and the daughter who hopes to find her father, and with him, a missing piece of herself. Directed by Ieva Ozoliņa (Latvia, 2014)

My Father The Banker is Ieva Ozoliņa’s debut film. She has since directed the documentaries My Mother – the State (2018) and Solving My Mother (2017).

Festivals and Awards:
Nordic Film Days Lübeck,
National Film Festival “Lielais Kristaps” (National Debut Prize)

ASF is pleased to co-present the second New York Baltic Film Festival at Scandinavia House with motion pictures from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. This year’s programming encompasses the theme of togetherness: on a personal level as well as in relationships and family history, and through the cooperation of various Baltic co-productions. It also shines through in films attempting to incorporate difficult or previously untold stories into contemporary national consciousness.

Coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the Baltic Way — when over 2 million people stood together in human chain linking the 3 capitals of Talllinn, Riga and Vilnius to peacefully call for their independence from the Soviet Union — this year’s festival aims to highlight the diversity of stories that make up the Baltic States. As a chain is made up of links, so a nation is made up of stories.

The 2019 New York Baltic Film Festival is presented by Scandinavia House and organized by the Consulate General of Estonia, Consulate General of Lithuania and Consulate of Latvia in New York. Programming is supported by the Estonian Film Institute, National Film Center of Latvia, and Lithuanian Film Center. Funding for the festival is courtesy of the governments of the Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and by the generous donations of members of the Baltic community in New York. Additional support to the festival is provided by the Lithuanian Culture Institute, and the American Scandinavian Foundation.