The feature film Ulya by Latvian director Viesturs Kairišs, which had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, has attracted widespread attention from the international film press and earned high praise from critics.
Reviewers have particularly highlighted the film’s visual language, the black-and-white cinematography of Wojciech Staroń, the performance of Kārlis Arnolds Avots, and the film’s original approach to the story of legendary basketball player Uļjana Semjonova.
British publication Cineverse describes the film as “an intimate portrait of an outstanding athlete,” emphasizing that Ulya comes close to perfection in both its visual execution and direction. Meanwhile, Indie-eye praises the film’s visual concept, noting that its grainy black-and-white imagery “reflects the harshness of a strictly disciplined reality without ever slipping into formal aestheticism.”
Several critics stress that Ulya is not a conventional sports biopic. Spain’s Cadena SER writes that the film is “a reflection on intimacy, gender, and self-acceptance,” while French publication Cinephilia describes it as “the portrait of an extraordinary woman,” centered on identity formation, loneliness, and one’s relationship with the body.
Particular attention has been given to the performance of Kārlis Arnolds Avots in the lead role.
Film outlet Basically Cinema writes: “It is almost unbelievable how completely he transforms into this character. His performance leaves audiences speechless.” Meanwhile, Caiman Ediciones notes that Avots creates “a sensitive protagonist who views the world through the perspective of someone who feels different.”
Polish publication Watching Closely highlights Kairišs’ ability to combine auteur cinema with sports-film traditions: “The combination of basketball and references to Carl Theodor Dreyer pleasantly surprised me—paradoxically, it worked brilliantly.” The same review also praises the cinematography, stating that the film’s black-and-white images are “full of real colors.”
The film’s aesthetic quality is among the most frequently mentioned aspects in international reviews. French publication Culturopoing writes that the film’s “almost unreal black-and-white aesthetic gives it a strange and deeply moving beauty,” while C7NEMA describes it as “a far more intimate, unusual, and deeply sensual experience” than one might expect from a sports drama.
Critics have also praised the film’s thematic depth.
ODG Magazine argues that Kairišs is less interested in the athlete’s achievements than in the ways power seeks to control and discipline a body perceived as different. Meanwhile, Fuck News characterizes the film as “a meditation on the impossibility of living a life free from interpretation,” focusing on society’s attitudes toward otherness.
Some reviewers point to the film’s deliberately slow pace and highly stylized visual language. Even more critical commentators, however, acknowledge its artistic ambition and originality. Spanish publication Otros Cines concludes that “Ulya once again confirms that Viesturs Kairišs is one of the most important talents in Latvian and Baltic cinema, finally recognized by the Cannes Festival.”
Overall, the international film press has described Ulya as one of the most visually striking and artistically ambitious works in this year’s Un Certain Regard programme, praising its bold exploration of identity, the body, loneliness, and self-acceptance.
Produced by Ego Media,
Ulya is a co-production between Latvia, Estonia, Poland, and Lithuania,
involving production companies Allfilm, Staron Film, and Tremora.
The creative team includes screenwriters Kārlis Arnolds Avots, Līvija Ulmane, and Andris Feldmanis; director Viesturs Kairišs; producer Guntis Trekteris; cinematographer Wojciech Staroń; production designer Ieva Jurjāne; costume designer Rūta Lečaitė; make-up artist Lisi Polumā; editor Armands Začs; and sound designer Siim Sepast.
The cast includes Kārlis Arnolds Avots, Chulpan Khamatova, Aleksas Kazanavičius, Artūrs Krūzkops, Alise Dzene, Dārta Cīrule, Madara Viļčuka, Varvara Čekhs, Kaspars Dumburs, Shamil Khamatov, and others.
The Latvian premiere of Ulya is scheduled for this autumn.
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