www.MARIS BORTNIKOVS.com
Screenwriter/Director/Producer/Playwright
Maris Bortnikovs.
"Above our heads the tops of the trees" 2023 (stage play)
Playwright
My stage play "Above our heads the tops of the trees" has been selected as a one of ten stage plays in stage plays compilation book "Humaheat" (a selection of plays about love)
published by the "Playwrights Association
".
"FEELS LIKE A SPRINGTIME"
2022 (stage play)
Playwright
My stage play "Feels like a springtime" has been selected as a one of stage plays in stage plays compilation book "Humanwing" (a selection of plays for young people and children 9+) published by the "Playwrights Association".
MUDDY WATERS 2022 (short film)
Screenwriter, Director, Producer.
34 min. non-dialogue short thriller about a married couple who struggles with a para-psychological trauma of post-violence caused by an alcohol-related incident.
Gained experience from the first film I decided to go for professional cast. For lead Femme Fatal role I choose stunning actress from "Riga Russian Theater" Anastasija Rekuta - Dzhordzhevich. Choosing visual concept I decided to go for modern thriller look but still kept classical Film de Noir traditions. I collaborate with a cinematographer Kaspars Kamabris who fallows newest trends in filming and has made music clips for biggest pop stars in Latvia.
Production started around of summer 2019 however shortly became one of the longest and hardest productions I had so far. Shooting was cancelled, rescheduled and pushed forward many times due to different reasons. The biggest roadblocks was COVID-19 virus outbreak in early 2020. While I was in self isolation I fully redeveloped script and make it a lot more darken than originally was intended. We were able to shoot film in final weeks of July 2020. However it was finished and released only in January 2022.
Screenwriter, Director, Producer, Cinematographer.
8. min non dialogue, experimental short drama about a young woman who lives with an alcoholic guy while dreams about real family.
This is my first short film and I made it as my final work when I was studying film and TV production at "'RISEBA University"' in Riga, Latvia. This was the first project I produced alone without help from my schoolmates. I decided to go for non professional actors and small professional crew of four people.
Films visual concept was inspired by 40,s Europe neo-realism and Hollywood film de nor styles. I wanted to came up with something that University people haven't expected to see. The final result isn't perfect but I am proud of it because I reached the limit of my experience, knowledge, talent, money and made the best film I possibly could made for the time.
