简介：Greatfilmsdon’talwaysneedtobe“great”films.Theydon’thavetobeperfectoraboutimportanttopics.Sometimestheycanjustsimplybesmall,gentlefilmsthattelltheirstorywithheartfeltsincerity,humorandwarmth.Ziemassvētkujampadracisissuchafilm. JampadracistellsthestoryoftheCīrulīši,atight-knitfamilydownontheirluck,andtheirtrialsandtribulationsduringtheChristmasseason. FatherCīrulītishasjustbeenturneddownforajobasamusicteacher.Hecanbarelysupportthefamilyasapianoteacherwithfartoofewstudents.Theycan’tevenaffordaChristmastree.Thelandlordisthreateningtokickthemout.Thekidshavejustreceivedtheirreportcardsandsomeofthemarksarenot,well,theyarenotthekindthatyouwouldwantyourparentstosee.Theeldestsonhasbeensummonedtothepolicestationfalselyaccusedofhittingapolicemanwithasnowball.And,totopitalloffthechildprodigy—whomthetwoyoungestkidshavebeenentrustedwithentertaining—hasjustbeeninjuredontheeveofhisconcert.Thepairissuretobeblamed. Whatensuesisastorythatisasgenuineasitiswarm,awonderfultalethattranscendswhateverweaknessesitmighthavesimplybecauseitistoldfromtheheart.TheCīrulīšimightbepoorandgoingthroughhardtimes,butthelovethattheyhaveforeachothercantriumphoveranythingthatcomestheirway. Incontrast,thefamilyofthechildprodigy,whichhasallthewealthandstatusthatanyonecouldpossiblyneed,seemslostandsadbecausetheylackpreciselytheonethingthattheCīrulīšihavebeenblessedwith. Thewinnerofseveralawards,amongthemChicago’sandFrankfurt’schildren’sfilmfestivals,Jampadracismightbecharacterizedasachildren’sfilm,butitisafilmforthechildinallofus.Ittranscendsthegenre.TheperformancesdonotcontainasinglefalsenoteandVarisBrasla’sdirectionandthescriptbyAlvisLapiņšareexemplary. (sourcehttp://latviansonline.com/reviews/article/2088/)…