Soviet Milk (Latvian: MÃÂtes piens) is a 2023 Latvian historical drama film directed by InÃÂra Kolmane, based on the novel MÃÂtes piens by Latvian writer Nora Ikstena. The film portrays a complex mother-daughter relationship in Latvia under Soviet occupation, exploring themes of repression, identity, intergenerational trauma, and female resilience. Directed by InÃÂra Kolmane with a screenplay by Arvis Kolmanis, MÃÂtes piens was produced by Film Studio DEVIà  I with international collaborators and shot to authentically depict life in Soviet era Latvia. The film premiered on 1 February 2023 and received positive reviews and significant recognition in Latvia, including the Kilograms kultà «ras 2023 award in the category of Cinema.
Set in Soviet-occupied Latvia, Soviet Milk follows the lives of a mother and daughter across several decades, from the aftermath of World War II to the late 1980s. The story centers on Astra, a young and promising doctor whose professional ambitions are curtailed by the Soviet regime. After returning from Leningrad, she is reassigned to a rural medical clinic, abandoning her scientific work. She takes her daughter Nora with her, who grows up in the countryside and attends a Soviet school while witnessing her motherâÂÂs psychological decline. As Nora matures, she becomes increasingly aware of the ideological pressures shaping her education and social environment. Influenced by family memory and personal experience, she gradually distances herself from official Soviet narratives and eventually participates in LatviaâÂÂs national awakening movement.
In episodic roles:
The film was directed by InÃÂra Kolmane and written by Arvis Kolmanis. It was produced by Film Studio DEVIà  I as a LatvianâÂÂBelgian co-production in collaboration with Tet and Umedia. The project received financial support from the National Film Centre of Latvia and the EU Creative Europe MEDIA programme. Filming began on 15 September 2020 and took place primarily in Limbaà ¾i Municipality and Riga. Soviet-era trains provided by Latvijas Railways and Vivi (train transit) were used to recreate the period setting. Production design was led by Lithuanian artist Algirdas GarbaÃÂiauskas, cinematography by Rolandas LeonaviÃÂius, and costumes by Evija Dà ¾onsone, who sourced authentic garments from private collections.
Critics have described Soviet Milk as a social and historical drama that focuses on womenâÂÂs experience under Soviet rule. The film examines the psychological consequences of repression, including identity loss, fear, and emotional isolation. AstraâÂÂs character has been interpreted as representing collective trauma shaped by totalitarian control. Reviewers have noted that the film emphasizes the intrusion of political power into private life, particularly in relation to motherhood, professional identity, and bodily autonomy. The intergenerational transmission of memory is central to the narrative, especially through NoraâÂÂs informal education about Latvian history within the family. Some critics observed that while the historical setting frames the story, the primary focus remains the evolving relationship between mother and daughter.
The film premiered nationally on 1 February 2023 at the Splendid Palace cinema in Riga. Soviet Milk became the most watched Latvian film of 2023 in domestic cinemas. Within two weeks of release, it attracted over 25,000 viewers, later surpassing 42,000 admissions. The film received the Audience Award at the Latvian National Film Award Lielais Kristaps and was recognized as the most attended film at Splendid Palace cinema in 2023. Critical responses highlighted Maija DoveikaâÂÂs performance as Astra and Raimonds Tigulsâ musical score, while some reviewers commented on the literary quality of the dialogue, reflecting the filmâÂÂs origins as a novel adaptation.
In February 2024, the film received the public-voted Kilograms kultà «ras 2023 award in the Cinema category.