‘Ulya’ Boarded by B-Rated International Ahead of Premiere in Cannes

Viesturs Kairišs‘ “Ulya,” which will world premiere at Cannes in Un Certain Regard, has been boarded by Paris-based sales agency B-Rated International.

The film is set in Latvia in 1964. Ulya, a teenage girl nearing two meters tall, grows up on a country farm. Her unusual height troubles her family, who wonder if there’s a place for her in the world.

When her class photo reaches basketball coaches, Ulya is whisked to Riga to join a famous basketball team. Struggling with her height and identity, she trains hard, but realizes basketball can’t fulfill her dream of a normal life. After fleeing home, Ulya discovers both village life and basketball see her only for her height. Accepting herself, she faces a choice: hide or aim to be the best basketball player in the world.

Producer Guntis Trekteris from Ego Media said, “‘Ulya’ is unconventional in every aspect—whether in its casting, visual language, or narrative structure. It once again proves that bold and ambitious goals are not easy to achieve, yet the satisfaction of succeeding in such cases is twice as great.”

Kairišs said, “Ulya’s story had to be told. In each of us lives an unrecognized giant who is afraid of a world that is so cruel and incomprehensible. But if you trust your inner giant, then your fears turn into hope.”

The writers are Livia Ulman, Andris Feldmanis and Kārlis Arnolds Avots and the DOP is Vojtek Staron. The producer is Guntis Trekteris from Ego Media in Latvia, and the co-producers are Pille Runk for All Film in Estonia, Magorzata Staron for Staron Film in Poland, and Ieva Norviliene at Tremora in Lithuania.

The financers are Estonian Film Institute, Polish Film Institute, Lithuanian Film Center and Estonian Culture Endowment.

Arnaud Chevallier and Tanguy Renaud from B-Rated International said, “We immediately recognized the film’s strength and powerful vision. It is a deeply moving story, carried by its pristine and striking black-and-white cinematography.

“We are confident it will strongly resonate with audiences—especially in today’s challenging political climate. We need more films like ‘Ulya.’ The film struck us as one of those truly intelligent, tasteful and complete cinema proposals speaking indiscriminately to all of us.”