Search a film or person :
FacebookConnectionRegistration
Home > All films > Films Documentary > Is It Easy to Be Young?
Is It Easy to Be Young? is a film of genre Documentary directed by Juris Podnieks released in USA on 10 october 1986

Is It Easy to Be Young? (1986)

Is It Easy to Be Young?
If you like this film, let us know!
Released in USA 10 october 1986
Length 1h20
Directed by
Genres Documentary,    Musical
Rating78% 3.900663.900663.900663.900663.90066

Vai viegli būt jaunam? (Russian: Легко ли быть молодым?; 'Is It Easy to Be Young?') is a Soviet-era Latvian documentary film directed by Juris Podnieks. It was filmed in 1986 with dialog in both Latvian and Russian, and is considered to be among the most controversial movies of its era. It was one of the five winners of the 1987 International Documentary Association awards.[1]

The movie speaks about young people who perished as a result of growing up in Soviet society - their conflicts with parents and society, the patronizing attitudes of their teachers and the authorities, the fear that there is no meaning to their lives. Among the young people portrayed are high-schoolers looking for their place in life, a young mother worried about the future of her daughter after the Chernobyl catastrophe, a young man follower of the Hare Krishna movement (an 'unusual' religion that was discouraged even more than 'usual' ones by the Soviet government), as well young adults returning from compulsory military service in the Soviet war in Afghanistan and having become ones of 'the lost generation'. The film's opening scene documents a concert by the banned Latvian rock band, Pērkons.

The movie had a major impact in the Soviet Union. It was seen by at least 28 million people during its first year. In all, 85 countries bought the rights to show the movie. For a Latvian film, this was an incredible number.

In 1986 the film received Latvian Film Prize for the best documentary. Its international debut was at the 1987 Kraków Film Festival, where it received the FIPRESCI Award.[2] It was also screened out of competition at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival.[3]

The film was re-released in 2007 by Jura Podnieka Studija; the new edition includes oral history interviews with Podnieks's colleagues.

After Latvia regained independence, Antra Cilinska filmed two sequels (Is it easy to be? in 1998, and Is it Easy? in 2010), featuring interviews with people filmed by Podnieks.
Trailer of Is It Easy to Be Young?

Bluray, DVD

Streaming / VOD

Source : Wikidata

Comments


Leave comment :

Suggestions of similar film to Is It Easy to Be Young?

There are 0 films with the same director, 14611 with the same cinematographic genres (including 701 with exactly the same 2 genres than Is It Easy to Be Young?), 4394 films with the same themes (including 166 films with the same 2 themes than Is It Easy to Be Young?), to have finally 70 suggestions of similar films.

If you liked Is It Easy to Be Young?, you will probably like those similar films :
Autism: The Musical
Autism: The Musical (2007)
, 1h34
Genres Documentary, Musical
Themes Films about children, Medical-themed films, Documentaire sur une personnalité, Documentary films about health care, Musical films, Films about psychiatry, Films about disabilities, Films about autism
Actors Rosanne Katon
Rating76% 3.8309653.8309653.8309653.8309653.830965
The film recounts six months in the 2005-06 life of five children with autism and their parents in Los Angeles, California as their children write and rehearse for an original stage production. Among the children, Henry Stills is an expert on dinosaurs and a budding comedian; Adam Mandela Walden plays the cello and sings in the film. The other children featured in the film have one or more things they excel at doing if only given the training they need to communicate and develop those skills.
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (2011)
, 1h45
Directed by Jon Chu
Origin USA
Genres Documentary, Musical
Themes L'adolescence, Films about children, Medical-themed films, Films about music and musicians, Documentary films about music and musicians, Documentaire sur une personnalité, Musical films, Films about psychiatry, Films about disabilities, Films about autism
Actors Justin Bieber, Usher, Jaden Smith, Miley Cyrus, Snoop Dogg, Ludacris
Rating17% 0.85960.85960.85960.85960.8596
The film follows the pop star Justin Bieber during 10 days counting down to what is considered his biggest performance, that of August 31, 2010 in Madison Square Garden, which sold out in 22 minutes. It shows footage of the performances during this period from his My World Tour. It shows excited female fans, and several instances of the "One Less Lonely Girl" routine of inviting a girl on stage for him to serenade and give flowers to, and of surprising random girls with free tickets to his concerts. The main people around Bieber, being like family and good friends to him, are interviewed, but Bieber himself is not. Various instances of praying together before a show are shown.
Every Everything: The Music, Life & Times of Grant Hart
Every Everything: The Music, Life & Times of Grant Hart (2013)
, 1h33
Origin USA
Genres Documentary, Musical
Themes Films about music and musicians, Documentary films about music and musicians, Documentaire sur une personnalité, Musical films
Rating70% 3.5102153.5102153.5102153.5102153.510215
Told in the style of the Errol Morris film The Fog of War, Hart is the film's only interview subject taking us through his life, from birth right up to the recording of his new album The Argument.
20 Feet from Stardom
20 Feet from Stardom (2013)
, 1h30
Origin USA
Genres Documentary, Musical
Themes Films about music and musicians, Documentary films about music and musicians, Documentaire sur une personnalité, Musical films
Actors Bette Midler, Darlene Love, Mick Jagger, Sting, Sheryl Crow, Bruce Springsteen
Rating73% 3.6975353.6975353.6975353.6975353.697535
Le film suit les histoires des chanteuses Darlene Love, Judith Hill, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, Táta Vega et Jo Lawry, entre autres.
Hanson: Strong Enough to Break
Hanson: Strong Enough to Break (2006)
, 1h30
Genres Documentary, Musical
Themes Films about music and musicians, Documentary films about music and musicians, Documentaire sur une personnalité, Musical films
Actors Stephan Jenkins, Carole King, Glen Ballard
Rating92% 4.624044.624044.624044.624044.62404
A documentary film by director Ashley Greyson which looks at Platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated artists Hanson and their three-year struggle with their record label, Island/Def Jam. With the music industry in the aftermath of corporate mergers, deregulated radio, and an uncertain future, Hanson is faced with the challenge of making a new album while dealing with an endless array of obstacles. Throughout their trial and tribulations, they must learn to cope with an insatiable record label executive, incompatible producers and ultimately with each other.