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 is an acclaimed Latvian film director and screenwriter whose work spans both feature films and television, garnering international recognition. His directorial debut, "Modris" (2014), premiered at over 30 festivals including Toronto and San Sebastián, earning Latvia’s National Film Award for Best Debut and Best Supporting Actress. His second feature, "Oļegs" (2019), premiered at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight and won multiple awards including the Grand Prix at the Brussels and CinEast Film Festivals, as well as Best Director at the Palic Film Festival. He co-wrote and co-directed the internationally known TV series "Soviet Jeans" (2023), which won Best Series at the 2024 Latvian National Film Award and received the Audience Award at Series Mania in France. The series was also officially selected for the Serial Killer Festival and the Seoul International Drama Awards in 2024.
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Gints Grūbe holds degrees in philopsohy and political science. He has diverse work experience in the field of media. Since founding Mistrus Media, one of the leading film companies in Latvia, he has been involved in producing films including Escaping Riga (dir.Dāvis Sīmanis jr.), Chronicles of Melani (dir.Viesturs Kairišs), To Be Continued (dir.Ivars Seleckis), and The Mover (dir.Dāvis Sīmanis jr.), January (dir.Viesturs Kairišs), Samuel’s Travels (dir. Aiks Karapetjans), co-produced movies Tsoy (dir. Alexei Uchitel) and In The Dusk (dir. Sharunas Bartas). He co-directed World Sounds and My Father The Spy.
January, 2021, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14326086/reference/ Samuel's Travels, 2021, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15944320/reference/ Natural light, 2021, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11681056/reference/ In the Dusk, 2019, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9799640/reference/ The Mover, 2018, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5697990/reference/
Elīna Gediņa-Ducena though having a degree in law, has been working as a film producer at ‘Mistrus Media’ for more than 10 years. Elīna is a member of Film Producer’s association of Latvia and 2020 EAVE producer’s workshop graduate. Her first production – an investigative documentary ‘The Master Plan’, dir. Juris Pakalniņš, was released in 2016 and besides screenings in cinemas and TVs have also been shown in US Congress and European Parliament. The latest releases: documentary by Ivars Seleckis ‘The Land’ that reveals the variety of country side in the 21st century premiered internationally at IDFA 2022; ‘Patrīcija’ about the best all time Latvian skier Patrīcija Eiduka by Dāvids Ernštreits and Inese Kļava premiered internationally at DOK.fest München; ‘To be continued. Teenhood’ by Ivars Seleckis and Armands Začs premiered at IDFA 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.