“This film is like a double portrait—not only of Raimonds Staprāns, but also of Pēteris Krilovs,” said Riga International Film Festival creative director Sonora Broka, as reported by Diena, ahead of the premiere of the documentary feature film The Red Shed (The Red Barn).
The documentary feature dedicated to the centennial of the renowned Latvian-American painter and playwright Raimonds Staprāns will premiere on October 18 at 5 p.m. at the Splendid Palace cinema during the Riga International Film Festival, Diena reported. October 13, 2025, marked the centenary of Staprāns’ birth, following his passing earlier in the year, according to LSM. Staprāns was born on October 13 into the family of a doctor, a city council deputy, and a teacher during the era of the Latvian republic. The film serves as a centerpiece of the festival’s Home Made Premieres section, exploring the intersection of art, history, and personal responsibility.
Premiere at Splendid Palace and Zuzeum Exhibition
The premiere event on October 18 follows a series of cultural tributes in Riga honoring Staprāns, including a major centennial exhibition at the Latvian National Museum of Art and the publication of his memoirs, LSM reported. Ahead of the film’s debut, the Zuzeum art center opened a complimentary exhibition featuring 17 of Staprāns’ paintings from the Zuzāns collection, on view on the building’s ground floor, according to LSM and Latvijas Radio 1. Following its theatrical release, the film is scheduled to be screened in cinemas, culture houses, and other venues across Latvia.
The Red Shed as a Cinematic Metaphor
Director and screenwriter Pēteris Krilovs spent approximately eight years developing the film, which takes its title from a recurring visual motif in Staprāns’ work, LSM reported. For the production, a physical replica of the shed from Staprāns’ paintings was constructed on the Baltic Sea coast in Sārnate, Kurzeme, operating as a temporary structure where the artist’s theatrical characters come to life to question their creator, according to Diena and LSM. Scenographers Mārtiņš Blanks, Dāvis Līcītis, and Krists Zankovskis built the structure, recalling that strong winds blew during the construction work, stopped as soon as the shed was completed, and returned again during the dismantling phase to help carry away every detail piece by piece.
Collaborative Portrait and Californian Roots
Producer Uldis Cekulis of VFS Films and director Pēteris Krilovs spent time living and working in the ground floor of Staprāns’ California home during the project’s realization, Diena reported. Cekulis recalled breakfasts at the home, noting that Raimonds Staprāns’ wife, Ilona, would already be busy in the kitchen preparing cheese sandwiches when the filmmakers woke up, after which the artist would join them for long conversations overlooking San Francisco. Krilovs described Staprāns as a remarkably independent and sharp thinker, noting in Diena that the painter rejected rigid categorizations of history and human behavior. Screenwriter Ieva Struka added that the red shed functions on multiple levels, reflecting both the painter’s palette and broader themes of exile and historical displacement, according to LSM. Staprāns’ daughter, Alda Staprāns Mednis, reflected on her father’s passing by stating: Of course, it is very sad that he is not here today… But that actually means how rich his life was.
