Once again, we’re very happy to present a sample of short films, which were among the many highlights of the Riga IFF last and this year. The Convent Gardener (a sensual and postmodern retelling of Boccaccio’s Decameron), In the Midst of Chaos There Was Shape (a dreamy documentary) may seem very stylistically different but they all share a wicked, playful sense of fun. Debris (Riga IFF 2023 National Short Film Competition Winner) is another great example of Latvian strength in animation – minimalistic but very powerful. And Claudia (Working Title) is a welcome reminder that, in cinema, artistic freedom, care and mental health are a complicated mix.

Léo Soesanto & Lauma Kaudzīte, selectors of Riga International Film Festival short program