>>> Riders (Latvia)
Eastern Europe, present day.
The unnamed HERO and his friend and sidekick CHRIS, a pair of leather-clad post-punk bikers, are planning to steal an armored bank car from a biker gang led by JANIS.
But money isn’t the only issue between Hero and Janis. Janis has stolen Hero’s girl, EVELYN and Hero wants her back.
Hero rides off in pursuit of the gang, accompanied by Kris, who encounters a beautiful biker chick named Madeleine, with whom he falls in love.
Hero, Kris and Madeleine watch as Janis’s gang robs the armoured car full of cash, then steal it right from under Janis’s nose. Hero and his team take the car to a remote Welder’s workshop in the forest to cut it open and claim the loot. But the welder has betrayed them and they’re forced to flee and hide from Janis’s gang. They hide the bank car with money in the forest and plan to come back for it later.
But their plan goes awry after they get arrested by the police on suspicion of the bank car robbery. Just when it looks like they’ll never get out of jail, Evelyn shows up and springs them. She’s left Janis and is remorseful. She wants to be with Hero again.
Hero and Kris return to forest to pick the money but realize they’ve been betrayed by Evelyn. Janis is waiting in ambush and captures them.
In the climactic battle, Hero fights with the gang members, decimates most of them and almost finishes Janis, but… gets killed in the end.
As our Hero dies, he comes to realize the truth – that the highly unreal nature of his own existence is simply Kris’s final dying dream of redemption. A wish fulfilling fantasy he is granted by Madeleine – a Valkyrie in the shape of biker chick – who has arrived to take the dying biker to heaven.
Janis Vingris
Film director and producer
Started his career in film industry with entering European Film College in Denmark in 1996. After graduating the college worked in National Film Center of Latvia. Two years later established film studio "Eho Filma".
Director and producer of several documentaries and short films.
Co-producer of "Honey Baby" a German-Finnish-Latvian co-production feature film directed by Mika Kaurismäki.
In 1999/2000 worked as an assistant director to Werner Herzog with his feature film "Invincible".
Director of awarded theatre play "Pillowman" written by Martin McDonagh.
Co-producer of WWII drama "Three to Dance" (to be released in November 2009) where Janis played also one of the leading roles.
Director and producer of a grotesque short film "The Last Bearslayer" – a film which due to its theme got censored in Latvia and received criticism from prime minister and other government officials. The film has raised a huge interest from media. Film will be released at the end of 2009 but preview trailer is available here -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwZp5bImXNg
