In this ode to the lowly plastic spoon, making its North American Premiere at NYBFF, the renowned Latvian documentary director Laila Pakalniņa follows the long, work-intensive journey behind the manufacturing of picnic cutlery. Oil is retrieved from subterranean depths; transported to processing plants; transformed into plastic; molded into the shape of a spoon, and then transported to convenience stores — only to be discarded shortly after being purchased. It takes a highly developed society to pull off such a complex and logistically complicated process; but to what end? Poetically and seamlessly, Spoon shows how far Latvia has come in some ways, but how far it has to go in others. Directed by Laila Pakalniņa (Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, 2019)

Laila Pakalniņa graduated from the Moscow Film Institute’s (VGIK) Department of Film Directing in 1991. A director and scriptwriter of 30 documentaries, five shorts, and five fiction features, altogether she can count 40 films, two children, one husband, two dogs and two bicycles to her name — and many ideas for yet more films! Her films have screened in the official programmes of festivals such as Cannes, Venice, Berlinale, Locarno, Karlovy Vary, Rome and other major festivals, where they have won numerous awards.

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Festivals and Awards:
Karlovy Vary Film Festival (World Premiere)
Riga International Film Festival

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.