PRODUCTION #2
FILM
D I R E C TO R
Sisters (2022)
Linda Olte
A bold cinematic debut, a tender adoption story – and an example of a lowfriction Italian-Latvian co-production Linda Olte’s Sisters
By
FA B I A N T I E T K E Photography
TO M S M A J O R S D A N I E LS N E G U L I N E R S MICHAEL LINTNER
28
With their mother in prison, two young sisters, Anastasija and Diana, are living in an orphanage in Latvia. When an American family considers adopting both of them, they’re faced with a difficult decision. While Diana is immediately gung-ho about a life in the U.S., Anastasija is more hesitant, unconvinced that she even wants to be adopted at all. In the midst of their struggle to make a decision, Anastasija finds out that her birth mother has been released from prison some time ago – and all avenues seem reopened to the life for which she has always longed. But her mother has too many difficulties in her own life to be able to be there for Anastasija. Sisters (Māsas) is Linda Olte’s feature film debut, with the director having previously worked primarily for Latvian television. Filming wrapped up in the first week of June, with a shoot in South Tyrol, most of which involved interiors. The film is a co-production between the Riga-based production companies Fenixfilm and Deep Sea Studios, and Bolzano-based Albolina Film.
