A Fairytale Sits On The Doorstep (1987)

A wistful little “story-spirit” rides the wind to a child’s doorstep and invites her on a whistle-stop tour through the Latvian seasons. Guided by a gentle water sprite, they drift from spring showers and blue-flower meadows to roaring Midsummer bonfires, stormy autumn seas, and snow-bright winter nights. The imagery—pastel cut-out shapes that melt and reform—visualises verses by the poet Aspazija, while Zigmars Liepiņš’s folk-inflected score (sung by Mirdza Zīvere) turns the whole trip into a lullaby on loop: every tale enchants for a moment, then must move on to the next open doorway. In the end the child waves goodbye, knowing the fairy-tale will return whenever imagination cracks the door again.

• Release Date: 1987-09-01
• Runtime: 0h 9min
• Production Country: Soviet Union
• Director: Roze Stiebra