‘Comeback’ By Vladimir Leschiov Brings Hockey Back From Filmmaker’s Past
Comeback, the 2021 indie short by veteran Latvian filmmaker Vladimir Leschiov, is the autobiographical story of a man reconnecting with a lost childhood passion: hockey.
On a trip to Montreal as a grown man, exposure to Canada’s national obsession sparks memories of early hockey games, both broadcast and played, and brings up a collection of nostalgic family moments and difficult choices, all against a backdrop of the socio-political climate of 1970s Latvia.
The titular comeback refers both to Canada’s hard-won series victory against the Soviet national hockey team in 1972’s famous “Summit Series,” as well as the filmmaker’s return to playing hockey as an adult with a son of his own. Dedicated to the filmmaker’s parents, Comeback is a touching look at the fonder of life’s moments – a fondness easily felt whether hockey is a part of your personal tapestry or not.
On the technical front, this is Leschiov’s first all-digital animation, having previously worked exclusively and painstakingly in various mediums on paper for each of his previous eleven shorts – in the case of Rainy Days (2014), black tea and ink on paper.
Comeback is produced by Leschiov’s studio, Lunohod, with Canadians Normand Roger (music) and Pierre Yves Drapeau (sound design) on audio duty.
