The Latvian film „Mana Briviba” („My Freedom”), centred on the life of Ita Kozakiewicz, a Polish activist in Latvia, garnered an Oscar nomination. Although not widely recognised in Poland, she is commemorated with a monument in Latvia. The film also features scenes with students from the Polish school in Riga.
Ita Kozakiewicz is a figure that connects Latvians and Poles to this day. She hailed from a diverse heritage, with her mother being of Latvian descent and her father of Polish origin. Born in the year 1955 in Riga, she not only served as an advocate for the Union of Poles in Latvia but also held the position of its inaugural chairperson. Additionally, she held a seat in the Supreme Council of Latvia.
Tomasz Otocki, a journalist of „Przegląd Bałtycki” specialising in Latvian topics says – „It is associated with Poland, with uncompromisingness in the fight for Latvia’s independence, but also with respect for all communities living in Latvia.”
On May 4, 1990, Ita Kozakiewicz participated in the vote alongside Latvians in favour of independence. While she is an important historical figure, her memory has somewhat dimmed with time. Just last year, the very first monument dedicated to Ita Kozakiewicz was erected in Jekabpils, Latvia. Additionally, recently, a street in Riga was named in her honour. Moreover, she had been a patron of a Polish school operating in the Latvian capital for several years.
Ita tragically lost her life by drowning in the Tyrrhenian Sea during the fall of 1990 at the age of 35. She found her final resting place in Riga’s St. Michael Cemetery. In 2001, she was honoured posthumously with the Commander’s Cross with the Star of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.
Director Ilze Kunga-Melgaile reveals that the idea of creating a film depicting the period of the USSR’s collapse in the early 1980s and 1990s was conceived after she completed film school. However, due to personal reasons, the project had to be postponed for a while.
„After a few years, I saw a recording of Ita Kozakiewicz, with her speech, and I remembered her; I remember her very well from those times.” – she recalls.
„I saw in her character all the topics I wanted to talk about: about a strong woman, about problems in society. Some of them exist to this day: in Latvia there are both Russian-speaking people and Latvians… and we cannot regulate these relations in any way.” – she adds.
Shooting for the film began in January 2022, and a month later Russia invaded Ukraine.
„My first thoughts were: What job? What cinema? You can’t have fun when there’s a war going on… Later I realized that this film is about exactly that: the empire is falling apart… It hasn’t fallen apart yet… And about how small nations are supposed to live in such a large empire. They are still fighting for their independence.” – said Kunga-Melgaile.
„I think this shock (related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine) influenced my film. I made some stronger accents.” – she adds.
The film prominently featured students from a Polish school and active members of the „Polonez” Club. When the time came to shoot scenes involving the Polish community, the director reached out to the Polish School associated with Ita Kozakiewicz in Riga for support. She attended a meeting of the local Polish community, presented her idea, and expressed her desire for their involvement. She remembers that the Polish community responded with great enthusiasm to her proposal.
Kunga-Melgaile confessed that her involvement in the production of „My Freedom” ignited a deeper interest in Poland. She went on to visit Poland during the summer and is now contemplating the possibility of embarking on a journey to learn the Polish language.
Author: Patrycja Bodzek-Kurzyńska
Photo: Tasse Film / Frame from the film „Mana Briviba”
