Catastrophe

Inspired by real Latvian politicians and their infamous remarks, the story revolves around Karlis Preiss, a Latvian parliament member. One morning, he wakes up to find himself embroiled in a scandal due to what he initially considered harmless comments made during a TikTok video interview. Desperate to escape the relentless press, Karlis seeks refuge in an Airbnb, where he spends the day attempting to manage the crisis, but ultimately exacerbating the situation. Over the course of a single day, he loses his family, his business associates, and his government position, all because he couldn't simply remain patient and wait things out.

  • Dan Silov
    Director
    Disposable Darling, What We Call Love
  • Dan Silov
    Writer
  • Vadim Zaikovsky
    Producer
    The Uninvited Guests, Lost Without a Trace, What Nobody Can See
  • Lauris Dzelzītis
    Key Cast
    In the Mirror, The Year Before the War, January
  • Evelīna Pārkere
    Key Cast
    Saki Ja!
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Katastrofa
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Comedy
  • Runtime:
    25 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    June 22, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Latvia
  • Country of Filming:
    Latvia
  • Language:
    Latvian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, Alexa Mini 4K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.78:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - The National Film School of Latvia
Director Biography - Dan Silov

Dan Silov (Daniils Silovs) made his directorial debut in 2016 with the sci-fi short “Disposable Darling”. The film was nominated as the best short at the “Lielais Kristaps” — Latvian National Film Awards. It was also included as the official selection in many film festivals across the globe, including the ones in Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Moscow and Kyiv. In 2021 Dan finished his second film — the first part of the trilogy “What We Call Love” with acclaimed Russian actors Andrey Mironov-Udalov and Anna Glaube. The film received a number of awards and nominations at film festivals the UK, Ukraine and Russia.

Dan is currently studying in the National Film School of the Latvian Academy of Culture for a Maters Degree in Audiovisual Arts and Film Directing.

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Director Statement

"Catastrophe" is a somewhat ironic look at the modern-day culture of non-stop news cycle, influencers, fake news, social networking, and constant communications. It is also a story of toxic male chauvinism, and the way it is still prevalent in the Latvian society. The story if inspired by true members of parliament and their real comments on the role of woman in the modern world.

Lauris Dzelzitis is one of the most talented actors in Latvia today. In 2021 he received the Latvian National Film Award "Lielais Kristaps" as the Best Supporting Actor for his role of Lenin in Davis Simanis' highly acclaimed film "The Year Before the War" (Gads pirms kara). In my film Lauris depicts Karlis Preiss, a member of Latvian parliament, who finds himself in a storm of his own creation. In the course of a single day Karlis essentially destroys his life. He is not a good man, but he's not such a horrible monster as he gets portrayed in the media either. So, in the end, it's a dramatic story of one man rapidly falling down from his pedestal into a puddle of mud.