Grandmother tells stories of a “dream land” to her granddaughter Bille. But the seven-year-old girl doesn’t see such a place anywhere. Not in the city, where the family of three has so little money that they have to sublet one room just to get by. And not in the country, where Bille’s father, as a “poor relation”, is not a welcome guest. He spends much of the money he earns as a factory worker on drink, but Bille loves him anyway. And he makes it possible for her to take piano lessons. For this young bookworm, that is the first step towards escaping the narrow confines of her home life … Based on the autobiographical books of Vizma Belševica (1931 – 2005), the film is a touching portrait of childhood. Told from the perspective of its young protagonist, “Bille” paints a complex picture of complicated family life in Latvia during the authoritarian regime of Kārlis Ulmanis.

In Cooperation with FilmFestival Cottbus