A documentary filmmaker who recorded Latvia's independence struggle from the ground
Andris Slapiņš was a Latvian documentary filmmaker and cinematographer who worked at Riga Film Studio. His films explored Livonian culture as well as Latvian history and social life, showing how documentary could connect suppressed memory with present struggle. He was killed in Riga on 20 January 1991 while filming the attack on the Interior Ministry, and the footage he helped create became part of the international memory of Latvia's independence movement.
Career Timeline
- 1971–1976Cameraman, Riga Film Studio
- 1976Graduated from VGIK, cameramen department
- 1978Cinematographer, Riga
- 1983Documentary director, Riga Film Studio
- 1988Director and cinematographer, The Field of Hopes
- 1989Director, Letters from Latvia
- 1990Cinematographer, Homeland, directed by Juris Podnieks
- 1991Killed while filming the attack on Riga's Interior Ministry