Motherland 1994

Directed by Kriv Stenders

Motherland is the story of two Latvian grandmothers who have lived in Australia (since the end of WWII), and although never knowing each other in their native Latvia, have become close friends since arriving in Australia. Not only did their similar experiences in their motherland draw them together, but these two elderly women have one other thing in common - they are the filmmaker's two grandmothers. Shot in black and white, in both Australia and Latvia, the film explores the women's lives, past and present. The film is roughly divided into two parts. In the first half, the women reflect on their lives in Australia, their families, their beliefs, and their memories of life and people in Latvia.