Thursday, 20. august, 2026
Event Info
From 17 to 21 August, Jaunmoku Palace will host the 3rd International Doctoral Summer School, jointly organised by the Latvian Academy of Culture (LAC) and the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (LMTA). Through lectures, workshops and individual mentoring sessions, doctoral students from 7 countries and 9 higher education institutions will engage with international lecturers. In the evenings, the summer school’s public cultural programme – featuring a concert, film screenings and accompanying discussions – will be open to anyone interested, free of charge, at Jaunmoku Palace.
To encourage the exchange of experiences between summer school participants and teaching staff, as well as discussions on creative works and research, a cultural programme will be organised over three evenings, which is also open free of charge to anyone interested. All events are scheduled to take place in the Palace’s Stable Hall (Column Hall):
On Thursday, August 20 at 19.00, there will be a screening of the feature-length film “The Year Before the War” (2021, 95 mins), with commentary by the film’s director, Dāvis Sīmanis, and co-producer, Radim Proházka. At the heart of this historical thriller is a young man, Pēteris Mālderis, one of the most enigmatic Latvians of the 20th century. The film’s narrative explores his tragicomic and surreal journey in 1913, shortly before the outbreak of the First World War – a time that transformed the world. The film is an interpretation of European history that tells of the demise of an old culture. In conversation with the audience, the filmmakers will reflect on the film’s topical relevance today and the methods used in its production. The film will be screened in its original languages (Latvian, Russian, German) with English subtitles.