As the 79th Cannes Film Festival approaches in May 2026, the international film community has turned its gaze toward a bold and unconventional biographical drama titled Ulya. Directed by the acclaimed Latvian filmmaker Viesturs Kairišs (January, The Sign Painter), the film has secured a prestigious spot in the Un Certain Regard section, marking a significant milestone for Baltic cinema. The Hollywood Reporter recently unveiled exclusive clips of the film, highlighting the transformative performance of Kārlis Arnolds Avots, who takes on the challenging role of legendary basketball icon Uljana Semjonova.
A Legend Reimagined
Uljana Semjonova, or “Ulya,” remains one of the most dominant figures in the history of women’s basketball. Standing at over 2.1 meters (6’11”), the Latvian-born athlete was a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a three-time world champion, known for her nearly decade-long undefeated streak with the Soviet national team. However, Kairišs’ film is far from a standard sports biopic. It is a deeply personal, stylistic exploration of identity, physicality, and the emotional toll of being “different” in a world that demands conformity.
The project originated from an idea by Kārlis Arnolds Avots himself. Eight years ago, as a drama student, Avots became fascinated by Semjonova’s story—not just her athletic prowess, but the psychological journey of a girl from a remote Old Believer community who was thrust into the global spotlight. In a daring casting choice, Avots portrays the female protagonist, a decision that underscores the film’s focus on the “otherness” and the internal struggle of a person whose body defines their life before they can define themselves.
The Narrative Arc: From Isolation to the Arena
Set in 1964 within the Soviet Union, the story begins on a remote farm where a teenage Ulya lives in an isolated religious community. Her extraordinary height is a source of anxiety for her family, who fear there is no place for her in a traditional world. The narrative shifts when a class photo catches the eye of basketball scouts, leading to her being whisked away to Riga.
The newly released clips showcase the stark contrast between Ulya’s quiet, rural origins and the brutal, high-pressure environment of elite Soviet athletics. The film portrays her recruitment not just as a sporting opportunity, but as a form of exploitation reminiscent of a “medieval circus,” where her physical limits are tested for the entertainment of the masses and the political glory of the state.
Despite these pressures, the film highlights Ulya’s indomitable willpower. It tracks her evolution from a self-conscious teenager struggling with her identity to an athlete who realizes she has a choice: to hide from the world or to become the best basketball player it has ever seen.
A Pan-Baltic Collaboration
Ulya is a testament to the growing strength of Baltic and European co-productions. The film is a joint effort between Latvia’s Ego Media, Estonia’s Allfilm, and partners from Poland and Lithuania. This collaboration extends to the creative team, with a screenplay co-written by Avots, Livia Ulman, and Andris Feldmanis. The visual language of the film is crafted by Polish Director of Photography Wojciech Staroń, while the unique soundtrack is provided by the Estonian folk-noir duo Puuluup.
Dita Rietuma, head of the National Film Center of Latvia, emphasized the film’s achievement in outperforming thousands of international submissions to reach Cannes. She described the work as “original and conceptual,” a sentiment echoed by the film’s producers who see Ulya as a landmark moment in Latvian film history.
Conclusion
As Ulya prepares for its world premiere on the Croisette, it stands as more than just a tribute to a sports legend. It is a cinematic meditation on the human spirit and the courage required to accept one’s true self. Through the lens of Viesturs Kairišs and the visceral performance of Kārlis Arnolds Avots, the story of Uljana Semjonova is poised to touch a global audience, transcending the boundaries of sport and cinema.
