This poetic exploration of the relationship between collective creativity and the natural world with the acclaimed Latvian heavy instrumental trio TESA invites the viewers to delve into the mix of reality and imagination, and to feel the thunderous riffs that roam across the clay and snow covered earth.
The film stars Klāvs Mellis, Agate Marija Bukša, Dace Eversa, Andris Eglītis and the band TESA – Jānis Burmeisters, Dāvis Burmeisters and Kārlis Tone.
“The roots of intent for TESA MAN grow in my creative past and its long-playing, unsettling lines. In an alchemical reaction, this film connects music of the band TESA, the frozen landscape 
of Vidzeme, and my animic sense of the world. The result is a film-ritual that brings the viewer into an abstract space, in which a creative eruption initiated by a group of people occurs,” Uģis Olte told FNE.
Uldis Cekulis, Paula Jansone and Līva Vernere are producing through Latvian VFS Films. The project was supported by the State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia with 20,000 EUR in 2023. The other half of the budget was input from VFS Films, self-contribution and work of passion by the authors and the band TESA.
TESA MAN was shot in the biting cold of November 2023 in a frozen Baltic landscape within the terrain of Savvaļa open-air art space near Cēsis.
Uģis Olte’s previous films, all in which nature plays an important, at times even ominous role, include long documentaries Stuck in Stikine (2007) and Double Aliens (2015), as well as his debut feature, mythological thriller River of Fear / Upurga (2022, produced by VFS Films). Having directed several music videos, Olte immersed himself in heavy riffs of the world-famous band’s Laibach adventures in yet another place outside the comfort zone, North Korea, in the documentary Liberation Day (2016, co-directed with Morten Traavik).
Production Information:
Producer:
VFS Films (Latvia)
Uldis Cekulis: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Credits:
Director: Uģis Olte
Scriptwriter: Uģis Olte
DoPs: Mārcis Ābele. Uldis Cekulis, Valdis Celmiņš, Baiba Kļava, Dainis Kļava, Ansis Landorfs, Aleksandrs Okonovs, Jānis Šēnbergs, Ingus Iļjučonoks, Andrejs Strokins
Editor: Uģis Olte
Production designer: Andris Eglītis
Make-up artist: MaijaGundare
Sound designer: Artis Lūsis
