Latvian director Viesturs Kairišs is currently in post-production on Ulya, a biographical drama based on the early life and career of world-renowned basketball player Ulyana Semyonova. The film, which traces her journey from a remote Old Believer community on the southeastern border of Latvia to Cold War-era sports stardom, will be presented as part of the Latvian Previews showcase at Locarno Pro, offering a first glimpse of one of the country’s most ambitious recent productions.

Set in the Soviet Union during the 1960s and 1970s, Ulya follows teenaged Ulyana as she grapples with her extraordinary height—nearing two meters—and the isolation it brings, both on her family's remote farm and in the world of professional sports. Her unusual stature troubles her family, who wonder whether there is a place for her in the world. When her class photo catches the eye of basketball coaches, Ulyana is whisked from rural Latvia to the capital, Riga, to join a famous team. Struggling with her identity, she trains hard but soon realises that basketball alone cannot fulfil her longing for a normal life. After fleeing home, she comes to see that both village life and the world of sports see her only for her height. In accepting herself, she must choose: retreat into the background or pursue her goal of becoming the best basketball player in the world.

The title role is played by Kārlis Arnolds Avots (Soviet Jeans [+lee también:
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Building on the success of January [+lee también:
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Shot over 30 days across three seasons in Latgale (eastern Latvia) and Riga, the film recreates the Soviet period. The production design is led by Ieva Jurjāne, with post-production currently underway. Sound work is taking place in Estonia, while image finishing is set for Poland during this summer.

Ulya is a Latvian-Estonian-Polish-Lithuanian co-production produced by Guntis Trekteris for Latvia’s Ego Media, in co-production with Pille Rünk and Ivo Felt for Estonia’s Allfilm, Małgorzata Staroń for Poland’s Staron Film, and Ieva Norvilienė for Lithuania’s Tremora. The project has received support from the National Film Centre of Latvia, the Estonian Film Institute, the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, the Polish Film Institute, the Lithuanian Film Centre, and the Riga City Council. The film is expected to premiere internationally in early 2026.