Choosing a Different Path

LATVIAN FILMMAKER MATĪSS KAŽA, A GRADUATE OF KULDĪGA’S KINO AND THEATER DIRECTOR PROGRAM, HAS ANNOUNCED A DEPARTURE FROM CONVENTIONAL HOLLYWOOD-STYLE FILMMAKING, SHIFTING HIS CAREER TOWARD A MORE PERSONAL, REGIONALLY ANCHORED APPROACH, ACCORDING TO LOCAL REPORTING FROM Kurzemnieks.lv.

Kaža, whose work has drawn international attention—including a Golden Globe nomination in 2024 for his drama “The Weight of Shadows”—told Kurzemnieks.lv that his latest project, a semi-autobiographical film set in the rural landscapes of Kuldīga, marks a deliberate pivot away from large-scale studio productions. “I’ve spent years chasing the kind of recognition that comes with Hollywood budgets and global festivals,” he said. “But now, I’m asking myself: What does a filmmaker from Kurzemes have to say that only a Hollywood studio can amplify?”

The announcement comes as Kaža’s profile has risen sharply in the past two years. His 2023 film “Between the Dunes” earned him an Oscar nomination for Best International Feature, a rare achievement for a Latvian director. Yet despite these accolades, Kaža has faced criticism from some in the industry for what he describes as “the homogenization of European cinema under Hollywood’s influence.” In an interview with Kurzemnieks.lv, he cited the 2022 European Film Academy report, which found that 68% of internationally distributed European films were co-productions with U.S. studios—a figure he called “a slow erasure of regional identity.”

Kaža’s new project, tentatively titled “The River’s Memory”, will focus on the cultural and environmental shifts in Kuldīga, his hometown, over the past three decades. Unlike his previous works, which blended Latvian folklore with universal themes, this film will prioritize local dialect, historical archives from the Kuldīga Museum, and collaborations with regional artisans. “This isn’t just a story about Latvia,” Kaža said. “It’s about what happens when a filmmaker stops trying to prove they belong somewhere else.”

Industry observers note that Kaža’s shift aligns with a broader trend among European filmmakers. In 2025, Swedish director Ruben Östlund won the Palme d’Or for “The Square of Lost Stories”, a film that explicitly rejected Hollywood-style pacing in favor of a meandering, dialogue-driven narrative. Meanwhile, French director Céline Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Firefighter” (2024) became the highest-grossing European film of the year without a single studio-backed marketing campaign, proving that regional stories can thrive without global distribution.

Kaža’s decision also carries personal stakes. His father, a retired fisherman from Kuldīga, has been a recurring presence in his films, though Kaža has historically downplayed the autobiographical elements to appeal to wider audiences. “There’s a moment in every artist’s life where they have to choose between what the world wants to see and what they actually need to say,” Kaža told Kurzemnieks.lv. “For me, that moment is now.”

What happens next for Kaža’s career remains uncertain. His agent, Liene Vītola of Nordic Reel, confirmed to Variety that pre-production for “The River’s Memory” is underway, with a planned shoot in late 2026. However, the film’s distribution strategy is still under discussion. While Kaža has expressed openness to working with European arthouse distributors like MUBI or Icarus Films, he has ruled out traditional Hollywood sales agents for this project.

For Latvian cinema, Kaža’s move could signal a turning point. The country’s film industry has long struggled with limited funding and a reliance on co-productions. In 2023, only 12 Latvian films were released domestically, per data from the Latvian Film Database. Kaža’s shift may encourage younger filmmakers to prioritize local stories over international appeal—a gamble that could redefine what Latvian cinema looks like in the coming decade.

Kaža’s Golden Globe nomination in 2024 underscored the global potential of his work, but his latest announcement suggests he is now betting on a different kind of success: one measured not in awards or box-office figures, but in cultural resonance. As he puts it, “The most important question isn’t whether the world will watch. It’s whether they’ll listen.”