Serial Bridges Baltics
Aurora.Newsroom.
Investigating an explosion at a wind farm, an investigative journalist uncovers a new Cold War spy network in the Baltics.
Guna Vilka, a journalist for Latvia's leading online news outlet who goes by the undercover name Lynx and works for Aurora, an international network of investigative journalists, investigates an explosion at a newly opened wind farm in Latvia, where an Estonian teenager from a nearby youth camp has died. Together with her Aurora colleagues, she discovers that the accident was a Russian sabotage operation: a network of spies connected to the 'self-improvement' youth camp, local politicians, and businessmen is preparing a series of attacks to paralyse the Baltic and Nordic countries' power supply and sow chaos. The closer Guna gets to the truth, the more she is threatened by deep cover-ups, the risk of losing custody of her children, and betrayal within the editorial team – and not only her career, but the security of NATO's eastern border, is at stake.
Main country of production
Estonia
Director's note
Today, more than ever before, the fragility of democracy has become a central topic of global discussion. Russian aggression, a wave of populism, and growing distrust in traditional media are just part of the backdrop against which this series unfolds. "Aurora.Newsroom" offers viewers an intimate look into the daily life of a journalist, where the fight for truth is often also a fight for survival — both professionally and personally.
This is not a story about a heroic journalist boldly standing alone against a wave of ignorance. No — this is a story about an ordinary, exhausted woman trying to feed her children, ignore threats from online trolls, and find a quiet moment to record a podcast episode about wind turbines. Our lead protagonist Guna Vilka is no superhero. Her strength lies in the fact that she never completely lets go of doubt.
The series focuses on various levels of media influence: the mission of investigative journalism, external and internal pressures on the newsroom, private life as both a cause and obstacle in the search for truth, as well as the role of digital manipulation, artificial intelligence, and populism in contemporary Europe and the world.
My motivation to tell this story is very personal. I have stood in the editing room and seen for myself how one “small” editorial correction can change people's opinion of war. Because I have four children whom I want to leave behind a country where facts still outweigh the number of “likes”. And finally, because I believe: a free press, even when it is tired, ridiculed and almost powerless in overpaid media markets, can still stand up and say: “That is not true.” This is my attempt to show that moment - when a man, without armor and without guarantees, decides that silence is more dangerous than speaking.
Subjects:
politics, women, society
Juris Kursietis (1983) is an award-winning Latvian director, known for his sharply realistic sense of life in his films. He worked for six years as a foreign correspondent for Latvian National Television before completing his master’s degree in film at the Northern Media School in the UK. He then worked as an assistant director on several Latvian films. In 2014, Juris Kursietis made his feature debut with “Modris” (PÖFF 2014), a story about a 17-year-old gambling addict living in a small town. The film earned him the Best Director title at both the San Sebastián and Tbilisi International Film Festivals. The director’s second feature film, “Oleg” (PÖFF 2019), which explores the challenges faced by a young Latvian man seeking work and happiness abroad, won two top awards at the Brussels International Film Festival.
Modris (PÖFF 2014), Olegs (Oleg, PÖFF 2019), The Exalted (2024)
Mistrus Media, established in 2000, have strong reflections on historical and current social-political themes. In recent years, the film studio has cooperated with a number of countries, working both on complex joint productions of international films and providing professional services to foreign companies shooting their films in Latvia. In 2022, in honor of Cannes' 75th anniversary Screen International selected Mistrus Media as one of the 75 independent European production companies actively engaged in 2022 in the origination, development and production of feature films, working with other co-production partners to create works for arthouse audiences and the global festival circuit. A few noteworthy co-production titles include: the feature drama *January* (2022) by Viesturs Kairišs which won the Best International Narrative at the Tribeca Film Festival, *Natural Light* (2021) by Dénes Nagy, a minority co-production, selected for the Berlin International Film Festival, awarded the Silver Bear for the Best Director, *In the Dusk* (2020) by Sharunas Bartas, a minority co-production, selected for the Cannes 2020. Limited TV series *Queen of the Press* was released in 2021 and the dark comedy *Samuel’s Travels* (2021), directed by Aik Karapetian premiered at the Fantastic Fest in Austin, USA. The documentary by Ivo Briedis *Homo Sovieticus* (2021) premiered at One World International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival in Prague, and *The Land* by Ivars Seleckis premiered at IDFA 2022.