Mellow Mud – Es esmu seit (2016)

Directed by: Renars Vimba | 106 minutes | drama | Actors: Elina Vaska, Andzejs Lilientals, Edgars Samitis, Ruta Birgere, Indra Brike, Zane Jancevska, Rezija Kalnina, Janis Kirmuska, Sandra Klavina

17-year-old Raya lives in rural Latvia with her younger brother Robis and her grandmother Olga. The father and mother of the children are nowhere to be seen, so when Raya finds her grandmother dead one day, she knows what this means: a one-way ticket to the orphanage. To prevent that, she buries grandma in the woods, says nothing to the remote neighbors and tries to lead a normal life. That goes just as well, until the complexities of adult existence completely overwhelm the children.

Arthouse drama ‘Mellow Mud’ is a pleasant surprise from Latvia, a country not (yet) known for its high-profile cinema. Although Latvia is geographically trapped between Russia and Scandinavia, there is no evidence of a mixture of those cultures. The drama comes across in a very Russian way, with its melancholy, fatalism, despair, alcoholism, poverty, lack of order and a healthy aversion to authorities. In tone and subject matter ‘Mellow Mud’ resembles the Russian ‘Loveless’, but then seen from a children’s perspective. That perspective ensures that the film is not completely devoid of hope.

The film focuses on Raya for almost the entire runtime, so it’s a blessing that top talent Elina Vaska plays the lead. Raya is of the rough-husked-white pit type, although it takes half an hour before a smile appears on her face for the first time. As the film progresses, as Raya opens up more to others, we see the insecurity, doubts and femininity under the gruff appearance of the tough teenager. And very occasionally we see the child among the adult features.

‘Mellow Mud’ is a film that grips you more and more. The longer the film goes on, the angrier you get at a world that leaves children to their own devices. Children who work hard in their own way to make something of it, but who cannot do without the guiding hand of an adult.

An extra plus are the atmospheric images of the Latvian countryside and Latvian towns. This too is very similar to what we know from Russia, where natural beauty goes hand in hand with the mess people leave behind. Apply that last sentence to parent-child relationships, and you’ve got the gist of this strong film.