Going Underground
Date:
December 15, 2022
Going Underground
Going Underground
by Armands Začs
Mistrus Media | Latvia
Documentary
Logline
In a time of rising geopolitical tension on NATO’s outer border, Going Underground follows a young Latvian civil defense architect whose work inspecting bomb shelters for a possible Russian invasion quietly fuels her spiraling fear.
Synopsis
As Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine enters its fourth year, talk of a potential attack on Europe is shifting from if to when. Against this backdrop, Going Underground examines how fear, survival, and the search for safety shape both people and the spaces they inhabit.
At the center of the story is Veronica, a 26-year-old architect working for Riga’s Civil Defense Department. Her task is to inspect and prepare underground shelters for potential use in case of war. What begins as a professional duty gradually becomes a psychological journey. Surrounded by the decaying remnants of Cold War infrastructure and the constant hum of new threats, Veronica’s work starts to mirror her own growing anxiety.
Through Veronica’s eyes, the film explores a broader European landscape of fear and resilience. Across Latvia, Finland, Estonia, Switzerland, and Norway, Going Underground encounters people who respond to uncertainty in very different ways – those who prepare and those who deny, those who build and those who escape. A man constructs a private bunker deep in the forest to protect his family; a businessman turns his wine cellar expertise into a luxury shelter business; an enthusiast documents Cold War bunkers as cultural monuments. Each story reflects a different way of coping with a shared sense of vulnerability.
Going Underground is both a psychological portrait and a geopolitical meditation, returning in the end to the fragile reality of life on NATO’s frontier.
Director’s Profile
Armands Začs (1990) is a Latvian film director and editor. Armands is one of the most established Latvian editors with his work featured at Karlovy Vary, Sheffield Doc/Fest, Tallinn Black Nights, Moscow International Film Festival and others. He received the national film prize as the best editor for his work on the film ”My Father the Spy”.
In recent years he has started to pursue his career as a director. He has made several short documentaries – intimate portrayals of his generation.
His feature documentary debut ”Mothers and Others” won the national film prize for best documentary director and the FIPRESCI prize. His most recent documentary co-directed by Ivars Seleckis “To be Continued. Teenhood” premiered at IDFA 2024. His first feature drama “Youth Eternal” premiered in March 2025.
Company Profile
Founded in 2000, Mistrus Media is one of Latvia’s leading and most experienced film production companies, recognised for its commitment to socially and politically relevant themes. The company has built a strong reputation not only within Latvia but also across Europe. Over the years, Mistrus Media has actively pursued international collaboration, developing and co-producing films with partners from countries such as Germany, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Croatia, Portugal, and Serbia.
Just recently a minority co-production film SOLOMAMMA (2025, dir. Janicke Askevold co-production among Norway, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland) has premiered at the Locarno Film Festival Competition Programme. Among Mistrus Media acclaimed co-productions is MARIA’S SILENCE (2024), a feature drama directed by Dāvis Sīmanis, which had its world premiere at the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival in the Forum section. Another highlight is JANUARY (2022), directed by Viesturs Kairišs, which won Best International Narrative Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival. The company was also a minority co-producer on NATURAL LIGHT (2021) by Dénes Nagy, awarded the Silver Bear for Best Director at the Berlin International Film Festival, and IN THE DUSK (2020) by Šarūnas Bartas, selected for the Cannes 2020 official selection.