January

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January

2022

1h 35m

Drama

Biography

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11 Reviews

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It is 1991 in Latvia and nineteen-year-old aspiring cinematographer Jazis's whole world is thrown into chaos as he is dragged into the people’s peaceful protests against the Soviet Army’s attempted takeover of power in his country. "January" is an autobiographical take on the political upheaval in the early 1990s that changed the lives of the people of the former Soviet Union. Jazis and his friends Anna and Zeps are all aspiring filmmakers, trying to pursue their dreams of making movies and enjoy the freedom of young adulthood, when the collapse of the political system in the region upends their plans, family ties and friendship. Their experience and participation in the nonviolent people's resistance by construction of barricades and human shields becomes the defining moment in their coming-of-age.

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

Times (UK)

January is laden with potent metaphors that might be less impenetrable if you’re fully clued-up on Bulgaria’s post-communist transition — or might not. Ultimate unknowability is the endgame.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 14, 2023

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Dennis Harvey

Variety

The disparate elements manage to hang together more than not, one binding factor being Juste Janulyte’s frequently interesting original score.

Jun 11, 2022

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Joshua Polanski

Boston Hassle

The personal touch guides what could have been a typical siege film or generic war film, likely to focus on more important figures, into something more relatable and perhaps reflective of the experiences of the people who lived it.

Jul 9, 2024

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Paul Emmanuel Enicola

The Movie Buff

Succeeds in intersecting art, love, and war, in levels that even Tarkovsky might appreciate.

Rated: A-

Jul 6, 2024

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Frank J. Avella

Awards Daily

January is a testament to how even indifferent youth can be galvanized into fighting for a cause.

Rated: B

Dec 27, 2022

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Gary M. Kramer

MovieJawn

January is a personal story told with style and heart.

Jul 15, 2022

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Viesturs Kairiss

Director

Karlis Arnolds Avots

Jazis

Sandis Runge

Actor

Baiba Broka

Actor

Aleksas Kazanavicius

Actor

Juhan Ulfsak

Actor

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Synopsis

It is 1991 in Latvia and nineteen-year-old aspiring cinematographer Jazis's whole world is thrown into chaos as he is dragged into the people’s peaceful protests against the Soviet Army’s attempted takeover of power in his country. "January" is an autobiographical take on the political upheaval in the early 1990s that changed the lives of the people of the former Soviet Union. Jazis and his friends Anna and Zeps are all aspiring filmmakers, trying to pursue their dreams of making movies and enjoy the freedom of young adulthood, when the collapse of the political system in the region upends their plans, family ties and friendship. Their experience and participation in the nonviolent people's resistance by construction of barricades and human shields becomes the defining moment in their coming-of-age.

Director: Viesturs Kairiss
Producer: Inese Boka-Grube, Gints Grube
Screenwriter: Viesturs Kairiss, Andris Feldmanis, Livia Ulman
Production Co: Staron Film, Artbox, Mistrus Media, Latvian Film Fund
Genre: Drama, Biography
Original Language: Lithuanian
Runtime: 1h 35m