Iesākumā bija vista

Katya (20) travels from a small town in Russia to Riga to attend a concert by a famous dancer she has dreamt of seeing since she was a child, as she is passionate about dancing herself. When she arrives in the Latvian capital, she is thrown into a whirlwind of troubles and problems: controllers and fines for travelling on an international train without a ticket in the companion's room; language and nationality problems; ending up in an apartment where Katya is harassed by strange men; fortunately, after a failed attempt at rape, the girl manages to escape from the apartment, but Katya's belongings and documents are left behind. Katya is left alone in a strange city with no papers, no money, no friends and no knowledge of the language. In this desperate situation, she is helped by an unusual Latvian young man, Ivars, and a penchant for dancing, which makes this reality less bleak in Katja's eyes and helps her to immerse herself in an idealised fantasy world.

Directed by Anna Dubrovska, Iesākumā bija vista leans on a strong ensemble — Svetlana Stoļarova, Kaspars Zvīgulis, Armands Krastiņš — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 2009.