Screening at Kai Cinema: “Ulja”

Genre: drama, biographical film, sports film
Runtime: 1 h 42 min
Director: Viesturš Kairišs
Cast: Karlis Arnolds Avots, Chulpan Khamatova, Aleksas Kazanavičius, Artūrs Krūzkops, Kaspars Dumburs
Countries: Latvia, Estonia, Poland and Lithuania, 2026
Language: Latvian
Subtitles: Estonian, English

“Ulja” tells the story of the youth and early career of legendary Latvian basketball player Uļjana Semjonova, and her journey to the top of the world.

Soviet Union, Latvia, 1964. In the countryside of Latgale, Uļja grows up in an Old Believer family. She is a teenager whose height is approaching two metres. Her extraordinary growth worries her family. Is there even a place in the world for someone like her? When Uļja’s class photo falls into the hands of basketball coaches, she is invited to Riga to play for a legendary women’s team. Struggling with her height and her search for identity, Uļja devotes herself to training, but soon realises that basketball may not fulfil her greatest dream: to live an ordinary life. When she flees to her home village, she discovers that both on the basketball court and at home, people see her first and foremost for her height and strength. Gradually making peace with herself, Uļja faces a decisive question: should she hide from other people’s gaze, or try to become the best basketball player in the world?

Uljana Semjonova became a two-time Olympic champion, three-time world champion and ten-time European champion. During her 18-year career with the national team, she did not lose a single international match.

Distributor: Estonian Theatrical Distribution OÜ

We also invite everyone to visit the solo exhibition “Island Behind the Sea” by acclaimed artist Jane Jin Kaisen, currently on view at Kai Art Center. This captivating journey, comprising seven films, delves into the depths of Korean traditions and history. Kaisen’s work is being shown in the Baltics for the first time.

A combo ticket for the exhibition and film screening on the same day costs €15 (€10 for a discounted ticket). The gallery is open until 18:00, so combo-ticket holders are asked to visit the exhibition before the film screening begins.