The Wordsmith

Penned by Mordecai Richler and set in wartime Montreal, this touching telefilm stars Saul Rubinek as Mervyn Kaplansky, a young writer from Toronto who boards with a family on St. Urbain Street only to find his aspirations undermined by the colourful yet desperate characters that surround him. Rubinek delivers a very touching performance as the boyish idealistic writer, and he is backed by a strong supporting cast that includes Harvey Atkin, Janet Ward and Peter Boretski.

A couple of impoverished pals get into a struggle after missing out on a golden economic opportunity.

Vārdotājas (Wordsmiths) traces the recent rise of women's stand-up comedy in Latvia, but it is by no means just for laughs. Feelings of discomfort, shame, shock, are just some of the subjects tackled.