Burlaks
An absurd comedy where a bored sawmill worker becomes a pawn in a wild wager between God and Devil
A magical realism / mythological comedy about a 35-year-old man, Miervaldis, a sawmill worker fed up with his dull and monotonous life. Seeking change, he travels to a mysterious mountain village, where he is given the seemingly simple task of restoring an old barn. Instead, he is swept into a series of bizarre encounters and increasingly absurd adventures. What Miervaldis doesn’t know is that his strange new life is no accident—he has become the unwitting subject of a wager between God and the Devil.
Producers' note
We are delighted to collaborate with the talented young director Gatis Ungurs, who has established himself with a distinctive and original style in Latvian cinema. His previous short films, "Plenči" and "Ludis" feature an absurd and eccentric aesthetic that vividly captures the essence of Latvia's rural environment. Given Gatis's own rural background, we are confident that his debut feature, “The Burlaks,” will effectively combine his unique authorial vision with a commercial potential.
As a comedy exploring the universally relatable struggle with laziness, "The Burlaks" promises to resonate with audiences worldwide. The film is bilingual, with characters interacting in broken English or Georgian, highlighting that words often carry little weight in their interactions. This approach enhances the film's universal appeal, comedic charm, and co-production potential.
Film has been filmed in a beautiful and magical landscapes of Georgia, with collaboration with Georgia co-producer Half Alien Films.
Currently, we are in early post-production stage and are looking for potential 3rd co-production partner for post-production, gap financing, sales agents, distributors, and festival partners.
Director's note
I grew up around men like Miervaldis. In some ways, I have been Miervaldis myself. In the Latvian countryside, stagnation is rarely dramatic. It is quiet: a man can spend his life reading about heroes while his own life slowly rusts, like the old Soviet machinery around him. THE BURLAKS is a film about this paralysis — and about what it takes to finally start moving.
The word “burlaks” carries two meanings: a barge hauler, doing brutally hard and honest work, and, in modern Latvian, a robber or hooligan. My characters exist somewhere between these meanings. They are flawed, careless and often ridiculous, but I never want the audience to look down on them.
That is why this story has to be a comedy. In rural Latvia, people joke about their own misfortunes because taking them entirely seriously would sometimes be too heavy to bear. The humour does not soften the pain; it reveals it. Everyone in this film is missing something, yet they continue to work, drink, compete, love and somehow show up for life.
Visually, I want to combine two worlds without drawing a line between them: the real mud, broken farmhouses and sawmills of rural Latvia, and a fairy tale populated by devils, angels, wild horses and other impossible creatures. Everything magical will be filmed with the same seriousness as everyday reality.
Rural Latvia, like much of rural Europe, is slowly emptying. Rather than make an “issue film” about it, I want to ask: what if the old gods never left? What if someone still cared enough to make a bet on one lazy, unremarkable man?
THE BURLAKS is a big-hearted, rough-edged fable about discovering that even a life that feels pointless and stuck may still be a story in progress. You just have to get up and start pulling.
Biography
Dace Siatkovska (1980) is a producer with more than ten years of experience working as a film and commercial producer, producing documentary and fiction films. Her films include Baltic Tribes (2018) by Raitis and Lauris Ābele, and Neon Spring (2022) by Matīss Kaža. Most recently, she produced Sisters (2022) by Linda Olte which won 2 awards at the Warsaw Film Festival and multiple awards at other international film festivals. Arizona Joe will be her first TV series as a producer.
Profile
Sunday Rebel Films is a dynamic, newly established production company based in the Baltics, dedicated to fostering international collaboration across feature films, TV series, and animation.
Our producers have produced films that have received both national and international recognition. Among them is the animated feature film Dog of God (nominated for the European Film Awards 2026.
While actively developing our own slate of projects, we welcome both majority and minority co-production opportunities. We currently collaborate with partners in Iceland, Italy, Germany, Ukraine, and Georgia, and we are actively seeking new international partners for projects in development.
We are passionate about nurturing new voices and aim to bridge emerging talent with experienced professionals, cultivating fresh, bold, and impactful storytelling.
At present, the studio has several projects at various stages of development and production, participating as both a majority and minority co-producer.