Alicija, a Polish-born liberal free-thinker, joins the Awakening movement in occupied Latvia. Her newlywed husband Ilgvars, a man with the experience of another generation, calls her to be more careful and cautious. With the support of a close friend, the poet Normunds, Alicija soon comes to the forefront of the Singing Revolution.
My Freedom is the International Feature submission for Latvia. The film is about the Popular Front organization of Latvia, which was formed in the late 1980s and continued into the early 1990s. The Latvian population, at the time, was 48% ethnically non-Latvian. Most people living there had moved to Latvia from other parts of the Soviet Union. The goal of the organization was to reach out to these ethnic minorities. They wanted everyone in Latvia to be able to speak publicly and freely about their issues and their needs in their communities. They knew that they needed the support of non-Russian minorities in order for Latvia to gain its independence from the Soviet Union.
The film is set in Riga in 1988. Alicija is a member of the Popular Front organization in Latvia. Along with her newlywed husband, Ilgvars, the two of them are living with Alicija’s parents in an apartment. While Ilgvars is at work, Alicija spends her time with her best friend, Normunds, participating in events around the city and gaining support from within her organization to become the party leader. As her popularity rises, Normunds discovers that Ilgvars might actually be a spy for the KGB. Alicija’s world is turned upside down as she begins to question her relationship, and have doubts of her security from the people closest to her.
During this time, the Baltic countries of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia were all trying to gain independence from the Soviet Union. It was a tumultuous time for the countries, and even tenser for all the individuals living in these areas with so much uncertainty. For the Latvians, they all have their own roots, and they all speak different languages at home. However, they are all united by their love for their homeland. In March 18, 1990, the Popular Front candidates gained a two-thirds majority in the Supreme Council, including Alicija, and the following year they finally gained independence.
My Freedom though, isn’t just a political film, it’s a film about love. Alicija and Ilgvars both come from two different worlds. Both of them have completely opposite views politically. Both of them want different things, but despite all of that, Ilgvars supports his wife in all her endeavours, and Alicija is able to accept him for his difficult past. Both of them come out stronger than ever because they accept each other for who they are and celebrate their differences.
The function of freedom is to free someone else. For Latvia, it was independence from the Soviet Union. For Alicija, it was complete acceptance from her husband and those closest to her.