The biennial film festival 'Arsenāls' will re-open in Rīga in the autumn of 2008, spanning a variety of cinematographic styles, periods and nations. With a press- and supporters-oriented event on the 1st of July, Andrejsala's riverborne venue and office block 'Peldošā darbnīca nr. 659' officially heralded the early news about 'Arsenāls 2008' and announced its numerically coded motto: 12–21.

The inauguration in Andrejsala featured mariner-style signalling and a minute of silence—simply because this year's festival has picked quietness as one of its keywords. The international festival's organising team then revealed several of its mission secrets that would bear fruit in the period from September 12th to 21st. It will be a welcome return, since Arsenāls is considered by Latvians the leading event of cinematography for nearly two decades.

Before any celebration, someone has to do the blue-collar work, however repetitious it may seem. In the case of Arsenāls, it was the festival's management who at the unveiling party scrubbed the floors, while a "crew" showed how to prepare a ship for navigation. Additionally a group of "signallers" specialising in Morse code broadcast messages of all-encompassing love for the coming autumn's festival.

Arsenāls 2008 will be symbolised by a ship. A telephone call to the festival's founding father Augusts Sukuts, currently residing in Spain, was made by his long-time friend and organising committee's chairman Māris Gailis, asking Sukuts to nominate the most important ship in the history of cinema. Citing the need to stay afloat while rendering useful services as the main purpose of all ships, Sukuts chose the seagoing craft from Federico Fellini's famous E la nave va (And the Ship Sails on).

Ms Elvita Ruka, who overtook Sukuts' trailblazing work, told the guests: "Ships are beautiful, strong and people can't do without them. Our festival has precisely the same kind of persona: strong, beautiful and indispensable, the latter being the most important."

Onboard Andrejsala's Peldošā darbnīca nr. 659, it was the right time and place also to thank the "crewmembers" of Arsenāls. These represented two expert areas: Sonora Broka, Šarlote Līduma and Dace Līdumniece had been working on the festival's programme, while Dāvis Sīmanis, Anita Uzulniece, Jegors Jerohimovičs and Gints Grūbe made up Arsenāls' selection committee. After this, the uniformed "crew" not only aptly hoisted nautical flags but also delivered a mime show recapping the festival's main ideas.

Crisp clean floors, a red graffiti in the sky spelling out ARSENĀLS, and finally also a sampling of sailors' staple food, pasta with high-fat meat! Nothing in excess, but the message is now out: Arsenāls is coming to Rīga in September.

News and photo source: www.arsenals.lv.