Julgi

Liivo Niglas
2005
30 minutes

 

The Livonians were once a powerful nation living in today's Western Latvia. Today only a few dozen people can speak Livonian.

But the number of people who can sing in Livonian is much larger, increasing all the time. Is the nation alive if there are still people who can sing in its native language? Will the Livonians be able to preserve their individuality through singing, perhaps even achieve the rebirth of the nation? The film follows the life of a young Livonian singer Julgi Stalte at the crossroads of several languages and cultures. Julgi's daily language is Latvian, but she sings mostly in Livonian. She talks both Latvian and Estonian to her son (whose father is Estonian), but sings lullabies to him in Livonian. Perhaps here lies the key to how Livonians could survive as a nation.

 

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