# The Chronicles of Melanie > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/The_Chronicles_of_Melanie > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/The_Chronicles_of_Melanie.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chronicles_of_Melanie > Source revision: 1334651848 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) ***The Chronicles of Melanie*** (Latvian: ***Melānijas hronika***) is a 2016 Latvian [biographical drama](/source/Biographical_drama) film directed by [Viesturs Kairišs](/source/Viestur_Kairish), starring [Sabine Timoteo](/source/Sabine_Timoteo). The film is based on the real life of [Melānija Vanaga](/source/Mel%C4%81nija_Vanaga).[3] It was produced by Latvia's Mistrus Media and co-produced by the Czech Republic's 8Heads Productions and Finland's Inland Film Company.[1] Two weeks after its domestic release on November 1 the film was watched by 35,000 people, making it the most-watched Latvian film of 2016.[4] ## Plot After the [Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940](/source/Soviet_occupation_of_Latvia_in_1940) Melānija and her son are sent from their home in [Latvia](/source/Latvia) to a [Gulag](/source/Gulag) [labor camp](/source/Labor_camp) in [Tyukhtet](/source/Tyukhtet), [Siberia](/source/Siberia) as "socially dangerous criminals" as part of the [June deportation](/source/June_deportation) in 1941. For the next 16 years, she retains her will to live by writing letters to her husband Aleksandrs, whose fate she knows nothing about. ## Cast - [Sabine Timoteo](/source/Sabine_Timoteo) as Melānija Vanaga - Edvīns Mekšs as Andrejs Vanags - Ivars Krasts as Aleksandrs Vanags - [Guna Zariņa](/source/Guna_Zari%C5%86a) as Katrīna - Maija Doveika as Vilma - Viktors Nemecs as Ampalov - [Erwin Leder](/source/Erwin_Leder) as Jakob - Evija Rudzīte as Biruta - [Baiba Broka](/source/Baiba_Broka_(actress)) as Anna - [Kirill Zaytsev](/source/Kirill_Zaytsev) as Lieutenant of the [People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs](/source/NKVD) - Astrīda Kairiša as Melānija's mother - [Lilita Ozoliņa](/source/Lilita_Ozoli%C5%86a) as deported woman - Ģirts Krūmiņš as Katrīna's husband Kārlis - Evija Martinsone as opera soloist ## Awards *The Chronicles of Melanie* received the award for best cinematography at the 2016 [Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival](/source/Tallinn_Black_Nights_Film_Festival).[5][6] It was selected as the Latvian entry for the [Best Foreign Language Film](/source/Academy_Award_for_Best_Foreign_Language_Film) at the [90th Academy Awards](/source/90th_Academy_Awards), but it was not nominated.[7][8][9] At the 2017 Latvian film festival [Lielais Kristaps](/source/Lielais_Kristaps), *The Chronicles of Melanie* won the award as the Best feature film, and also picked the Best Director, Best Actress, Best Design and Best Costume Design received.[10] ## Reception Wendy Ide of *[Screen Daily](/source/Screen_International)* described the film as "a potent account of the human cost of [Soviet ethnic cleansing](/source/Soviet_ethnic_cleansing) in the Baltic region". She compared it to the 2014 Estonian film *[In the Crosswind](/source/In_the_Crosswind)*, which also is about a woman subjected to the [June deportation](/source/June_deportation), and wrote that *The Chronicles of Melanie* is "less experimental in approach". Ide wrote: "The distorted sound creates a sense of delirium; the painfully slow movements of the malnourished women gives the film a nightmarish quality. Time slows down, both for the exiled Latvian women and also, at times, for the audience. It all amounts to a challenging viewing experience."[11] ## See also - [Population transfer in the Soviet Union](/source/Population_transfer_in_the_Soviet_Union) - [List of submissions to the 90th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film](/source/List_of_submissions_to_the_90th_Academy_Awards_for_Best_Foreign_Language_Film) - [List of Latvian submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film](/source/List_of_Latvian_submissions_for_the_Academy_Award_for_Best_Foreign_Language_Film) ## References 1. ["The Chronicles of Melanie"](https://web.archive.org/web/20201101020122/http://nkc.gov.lv/en/archive/chronicles-melanie/). [National Film Centre of Latvia](/source/National_Film_Centre_of_Latvia). Archived from [the original](http://nkc.gov.lv/en/archive/chronicles-melanie/) on November 1, 2020. Retrieved September 5, 2017. 1. ["The Chronicles of Melanie (Melanijas hronika)"](http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/intl/?page=&wk=2016W53&id=_fTHECHRONICLESOFM01). *[Box Office Mojo](/source/Box_Office_Mojo)*. Retrieved September 8, 2017. 1. Collier, Mike (May 11, 2015). ["Classic work of the Gulag now in English"](https://eng.lsm.lv/article/culture/culture/classic-work-of-the-gulag-now-in-english.a129068/). [Public Broadcasting of Latvia](/source/Public_Broadcasting_of_Latvia). Retrieved September 5, 2017. 1. [""Chronicles of Melanie" most watched Latvian film"](https://eng.lsm.lv/article/culture/culture/chronicles-of-melanie-most-watched-latvian-film.a210648/). [Public Broadcasting of Latvia](/source/Public_Broadcasting_of_Latvia). November 17, 2016. Retrieved September 5, 2017. 1. ["Award winners of the 20th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival"](http://us7.campaign-archive1.com/?u=c2426593c5ba2369b6e13a66e&id=7a5cac9619). [Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival](/source/Tallinn_Black_Nights_Film_Festival). November 25, 2016. Retrieved February 3, 2017. 1. [""Chronicles of Melanie" wins European award"](https://eng.lsm.lv/article/culture/culture/chronicles-of-melanie-wins-european-award.a212058/). [Public Broadcasting of Latvia](/source/Public_Broadcasting_of_Latvia). November 26, 2016. Retrieved February 3, 2017. 1. ["'Chronicles of Melanie' to compete for Academy Award"](https://eng.lsm.lv/article/culture/culture/chronicles-of-melanie-to-compete-for-academy-award.a248949/). [Public Broadcasting of Latvia](/source/Public_Broadcasting_of_Latvia). September 4, 2017. Retrieved September 8, 2017. 1. Boyle, Tim (September 5, 2017). ["Oscars: Latvia Selects 'The Chronicles of Melanie' for Foreign-Language Category"](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/oscars-latvia-selects-chronicles-melanie-foreign-language-category-1035145). *[The Hollywood Reporter](/source/The_Hollywood_Reporter)*. Retrieved September 5, 2017. 1. ["Latvian National Film Center decides to send The Chronicles of Melanie for Oscar"](https://www.baltictimes.com/latvian_national_film_center_decides_to_send_the_chronicles_of_melanie_for_oscar/). [The Baltic Times](/source/The_Baltic_Times). September 4, 2017. Retrieved September 8, 2017. 1. ["'The Chronicles of Melanie' dominates film awards"](https://eng.lsm.lv/article/culture/culture/the-chronicles-of-melanie-dominates-film-awards.a257319/). [Public Broadcasting of Latvia](/source/Public_Broadcasting_of_Latvia). November 14, 2017. Retrieved December 15, 2017. 1. Ide, Wendy (2016-11-22). ["'The Chronicles of Melanie': Tallinn Review"](http://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-chronicles-of-melanie-tallinn-review/5111556.article). *[Screen Daily](/source/Screen_International)*. Retrieved February 5, 2017. ## External links - [The Chronicles of Melanie](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5541426/) at IMDb --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [The Chronicles of Melanie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chronicles_of_Melanie) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chronicles_of_Melanie?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.