Latvia’s Oscar submission “Ulya” is expanding its international reach, with the black-and-white feature securing distribution across North America, Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and Brazil.

New Mountain Films has acquired North American rights, while Destiny will distribute the film in France and Invisible Carpet will handle Italy. Additional agreements cover Slovakia through ASFK, former Yugoslavia through Five Star Distribution, Estonia through Hea Film and Lithuania through GPI.

Teleview has taken rights for the MENA region, with Cinema Orion aboard for Finland, 1989 for Poland and Belas Arte for Brazil. B-Rated International is handling sales.

The deals add momentum to a film already selected as Latvia’s submission for Best International Feature Film. Directed by Viesturs Kairišs, “Ulya” premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes and is set to open the 30th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.

Ego Media of Latvia produced the film alongside Estonia’s Allfilm, Poland’s Staroń Film and Lithuania’s Tremora.

An unconventional portrait of Ulyana Semjonova

“Ulya” takes its inspiration from the life of basketball player Ulyana Semjonova, who was born in 1952 and stood seven feet tall. Rather than make a conventional cradle-to-career biography, Kairišs approached the story as a subjective arthouse film centered on a young woman living in the countryside.

“I don’t think I could ever make a nice, typical biopic,” the filmmaker told Variety. “My interest lies in arthouse films. I wasn’t really thinking about sports either. I wanted to tell a Werner Herzog-esque story about a giant girl living in the countryside.”

Kairišs said the production sought to stay close to Semjonova’s perspective, using what the team called “crazy cameras” as well as slightly out-of-focus images. The goal, he explained, was to find a visual expression for her inner life.

The original push to make the film came from its lead actor, Kārlis Arnolds Avots. Kairišs first heard the idea when, as artistic director of the Dailes Theatre, he invited Avots to join the ensemble. During that initial meeting, the actor said he wanted to play Semjonova.

Kairišs initially put the suggestion aside. Years later, after Avots had appeared in his film “January,” the director overheard him discussing the concept again with the cinematographer and recognized its potential as a movie.

The casting choice faced resistance from collaborators who wanted a more standard biographical film. Kairišs, however, pointed to the theatrical tradition of men playing women and remained committed to telling the story on his own terms.

Semjonova gave the filmmakers her blessing before her death in January 2026. A photograph of her with Avots appears at the end of the film.

“She trusted us,” Kairišs said. “It must have been strange to have us come over and say: ‘And a boy will be playing you.’ But it quickly became clear why it made sense.”

The director also said Avots understood the experience of being treated as a “giant” and felt an affinity with Semjonova. At the time of Kairišs’ comments, the actor had been filming the Viking series “Bloodaxe.”

Identity gives “Ulya” a wider connection

For Kairišs, the film’s connection with viewers has extended beyond Semjonova’s height or her basketball story. He sees “Ulya” as a film about outsiders and the traits people may feel pressured to conceal.

“Everyone is struggling with something they want to hide, but it’s probably the best part of who they are,” he said.

Kairišs described the response in Latvia as extraordinary, calling the movie a blockbuster and saying it had already become the second most-watched film in history. He also reported similarly strong reactions at Cannes, Rome and Los Angeles, adding that none of his previous films had received the same kind of response.

He linked that reception to the pressure people face to look alike, share the same tastes or suppress qualities that make them different. The director said the film encourages audiences to embrace that difference rather than eliminate it.

ShowBiz Take

The significance of the new sales is not simply the number of territories involved. “Ulya” was deliberately made as an unconventional, subjective film rather than the standard sports biopic some collaborators initially favored. Its acquisition across 11 markets and regions shows that distributors see international potential in that distinctive approach.

The film’s festival trajectory also continues to build: a Cannes Un Certain Regard premiere is now followed by the opening slot at the 30th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. Combined with Kairišs’ account of its reception in Latvia and at screenings in Rome and Los Angeles, the distribution agreements give “Ulya” a broader platform for its portrait of identity, difference and life as an outsider.

What Happens Next?

“Ulya” will next take a prominent festival position as the opening film of Tallinn Black Nights’ 30th edition. Beyond that engagement, its newly confirmed distributors will carry the Latvian Oscar submission into markets spanning North America, France, Italy, Slovakia, former Yugoslavia, Estonia, Lithuania, MENA, Finland, Poland and Brazil.