Riga Film Museum
Riga Film Museum is the only museum of its kind in Latvia. It holds various exhibits that display different types of cinema art, actors, and film history. The museum was founded in 1988, and it is made up of two separate buildings: an 18th century building located on 10 Peitavas Street in Vecriga, and the Edward Smilgs Theater Museum on 1Talsu Street in Pardaugava.
History
The idea to establish a Film Museum in Riga came about during the traditional cinema forum called ”Kino Diena” (or Film Day) in 1986. The main leaders of this project were Augusts Sukuts, Inga Perkone-Redovica, and Jurijs Civjans. During the time that Latvia was under the power of the Soviet Union, censorship and cultural identity were not prominent, but the leaders of this project somehow managed to start a museum with the permission of the Soviet Union cinema organization. Throughout the years following Latvia’s independence, the Riga Film Museum had many different owners. It was in the hands of the National Cinema Center until 2010, when it was turned over to the Latvian Academy of Culture. The Film Museum has also relocated various times. It was once a part of the ”Videocenter”, the ”Cinemaphotodocument archive”, the ”Cinema Study”, and the ”Museum of Illegal Press” on Kraslavas Street in Riga.
Educational programs in the Riga Film Museum
Lecture for children: ”What is Cinema?”
This is a unique opportunity for young children to learn about cinema, and it allows them to develop creative thinking. Moving phenomenon, optical illusions, the birth of theater, mystery, horror, and comedy film classes are available for young children – kindergarten and elementary school – aged students. The theme for classes grades 1-6 is Visual Art, which includes studies about the line, silhouette, movement, form, experiment, setting, location, and surroundings of movies, as well as the introduction to art work in the museum exposition. These classes are held in either Latvian or Russian.
Classes for older students
Classes for the older age group involve discussions about ethics, responsibility, and the importance of others. Students will also begin to look at a documentary called ”Vecāks par 10 minūtēm” by Frank Herc. This class is for students in high school and middle school. The theme for this class is based on cultural influence to discuss the value of life. After discussing the themes from above, students will be prepared to fill out an assignment: a critique of the movie. Classes in the museum allows students to learn in a different setting and format about the process of life and cinema.
People, Government, Freedom, and Cinema
This class in the museum is meant for students in grades 10-12. This class discusses the effect of totalitarian government on the lives of people and the freedom of creativity by looking at Latvian Cultural movie fragments. This expands the knowledge of students in Latvian culture. During classes, students will study censorship during the times of the Soviet Union, as well as study the cultural cannon movement and the movies associated with it. Students will watch three movie fragments that were made in the years 1961-1988.
Cinema Paths of Riga
The capitol city of Latvia, Riga, is a cinematic city. It has a history of producing creativity in Latvian movies and movies of other countries. Movies shown throughout Europe (in cities such as Berlin and London) are often times set in Riga because of its beautiful architecture and style. The city can reveal hidden secrets and provide different perspectives on life. The Path of Film History in Riga is an opportunity for tourists and locals to learn about the history of Latvian cinema and the history of Riga. The Cinema Map displays a timeline of Latvian cinema history, actors, shows, and film locations, like that of the movie ‘’Ebreju kursistes traģēdija,” which was made in 1913. The Cinema Map leads people to travel into the history of cinema in Latvia. It allows people to learn about movies, actors, and Riga. The Map can be found on www.kinomuzejs.lv/karte
External links
Coordinates: 56°56′45″N 24°06′40″E / 56.9457°N 24.1110°E