ZVEJNIEKA DĒLS (FISHERMAN’S SON) directed by Vilis Lapenieks, 1939

This film became the most popular prewar sound film in Latvia - a resounding box–office hit. The literary origin of the film was a novel by Vilis Lācis, published in installments in the popular magazine Atpūta, which had already captured the hearts and minds of its readers. Kārlis Ulmanis, the Latvian president, attended the premiere of the film in the packed Splendid Palace. After the crowd had departed ticket-collectors spent hours collecting hats and goloshes from the floor lost in the bustle. 20 years later a remake of the film, however, was unable to recapture the same heights of popularity attained by the original version.