Jānis Kirmuška

A little boy pulls out one Martian toy from a vending machine and it turns into a real alien who takes him to his planet, where he is surronded by the toys from the vending machine, but much bigger.

Solitude et désillusion bercent Raya, une jeune femme de 17 ans vivant dans une campagne éloignée de la Lettonie avec sa grand-mère et son jeune frère Robis. Une malheureuse série d’événements vient bouleverser leur quotidien et force Raya à prendre de lourdes décisions.

An ancient Latvian folk tale is the basis for this colorful animated feature in the tradition of Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. A vengeful sorceress casts a kingdom’s princess into a deep sleep at the top of an icy mountain, where she awaits release from the spell that will destroy the land. Of all the men vying for the honor, the shy outcast son of a family of thugs is the most unlikely. Director Kalnaellis brings a playful sense of humor to the characterizations and adds zippy contemporary elements including a chorus of wisecracking crows. (Gene Siskel Film Center)