Jānis Cimmermanis

Directing

Jānis Cimmermanis

Born

1950-12-09 (75)

Place of birth

Riga, Latvia

Known for

Directing

Credits

40 titles

Jānis Cimmermanis is a Latvian animator and director. Born in 1950 in Latvia, he graduated from Leningrad Institute of Theatre, Music, and Cinematography in 1980. Then he worked in the Latvian Puppet Theatre as a director. Since 1983, he has worked for the Latvia Film studio as a puppet film animator and director.

Known for

Vasa poster
NR

An exceptional museum in Sweden houses the Vasa sailboat – a ship that has been lifted out from the bottom of the sea where it ended up after an unfortunate maiden voyage. One day, the museum staff notice a rat in the boat’s hull and begin setting traps to catch the rodent before it damages this brilliant museum piece; however, as it turns out, the rat is not alone. In fact, there are surprisingly many of them. The staffs’ attempts to get rid of the rodents prove futile. And, because of its gentle Swedish upbringing, even the cat they bring in doesn’t help. They need to call in the experts – the Rescue Team!

Vasa

2014

The Bear is Coming! poster
NR

No one knows how it happened, but not long ago a Latvian bear arrived on the Estonian island of Ruhnu. The islanders were really afraid. At first they tried to catch the bear, but were only able to find his footprints. Later they invited a professional hunter from Finland with a special bear dog. Still no success...

The Bear is Coming!

2008

Greece Treasures poster
NR

An elderly man has arrived in Greece, Halkidiki. While fishing on his boat, he pulls out an old amphora, but its bottom breaks off and falls back into the sea. The old man calls the “Rescue team” for a help. Three “Rescue team” men arrive with their ship and put on scuba diver equipment, then go deep into the sea to find the lost property...

Greece Treasures

2020

Tower poster
9.0

A group of Japanese tourists arrives to the Italian city of Pisa to see the famous crooked tower. There they are joined by a pensionerr from Latvia. While viewing the tower it suddenly begins to crook and frightened tourists rush to hold it. Their efforts are reported on TV globally, which is seen by "The Rescue Team" and so the men rush to save the tower and also the Latvian pensioneer…

Tower

2015

London Holidays poster
8.0

The men of The Rescue Team are finally on holidays and are traveling on their yellow boat through the English Channel. The satellite phone is ringing; London's famous Big Ben has broken down, so The Rescue Team rush to fix it. Morning comes and Big Ben is working again! However, when its time to ring comes around, the solution found by The Rescue Team is a great surprise to the Queen of England...

London Holidays

2019

Henry the Great poster
NR

After returning to his homeland, Baltaine's bacon pie Henry The Great reveals that his homeland has been taken over by Oriental pies under the terrible leadership of Tsar Aivens, and there is nothing left but to start a heroic fight for the liberation of the homeland.

Henry the Great

2023

Behind the camera

Vasa poster
NR

An exceptional museum in Sweden houses the Vasa sailboat – a ship that has been lifted out from the bottom of the sea where it ended up after an unfortunate maiden voyage. One day, the museum staff notice a rat in the boat’s hull and begin setting traps to catch the rodent before it damages this brilliant museum piece; however, as it turns out, the rat is not alone. In fact, there are surprisingly many of them. The staffs’ attempts to get rid of the rodents prove futile. And, because of its gentle Swedish upbringing, even the cat they bring in doesn’t help. They need to call in the experts – the Rescue Team!

Vasa

2014

The Bear is Coming! poster
NR

No one knows how it happened, but not long ago a Latvian bear arrived on the Estonian island of Ruhnu. The islanders were really afraid. At first they tried to catch the bear, but were only able to find his footprints. Later they invited a professional hunter from Finland with a special bear dog. Still no success...

The Bear is Coming!

2008

Greece Treasures poster
NR

An elderly man has arrived in Greece, Halkidiki. While fishing on his boat, he pulls out an old amphora, but its bottom breaks off and falls back into the sea. The old man calls the “Rescue team” for a help. Three “Rescue team” men arrive with their ship and put on scuba diver equipment, then go deep into the sea to find the lost property...

Greece Treasures

2020

Tower poster
9.0

A group of Japanese tourists arrives to the Italian city of Pisa to see the famous crooked tower. There they are joined by a pensionerr from Latvia. While viewing the tower it suddenly begins to crook and frightened tourists rush to hold it. Their efforts are reported on TV globally, which is seen by "The Rescue Team" and so the men rush to save the tower and also the Latvian pensioneer…

Tower

2015

London Holidays poster
8.0

The men of The Rescue Team are finally on holidays and are traveling on their yellow boat through the English Channel. The satellite phone is ringing; London's famous Big Ben has broken down, so The Rescue Team rush to fix it. Morning comes and Big Ben is working again! However, when its time to ring comes around, the solution found by The Rescue Team is a great surprise to the Queen of England...

London Holidays

2019

Henry the Great poster
NR

After returning to his homeland, Baltaine's bacon pie Henry The Great reveals that his homeland has been taken over by Oriental pies under the terrible leadership of Tsar Aivens, and there is nothing left but to start a heroic fight for the liberation of the homeland.

Henry the Great

2023

Corrida poster
NR

A bull fight takes place in the main arena in Madrid, the capital of Spain. This time, however, the toreador is not as successful as usual and must run away to save his life. Finding a safe place from the angry beast, the toreador uses his mobile phone to call for help. The Rescue Team receives his distress call. It is the very first call from Europe. Using their new, yellow airplane, three brave men depart immediately for a rescue mission...

Corrida

2012

The Latvian poster
NR

A testament to the power of film – a witty summary of the entire history of Latvia from ancient to modern times in eight minutes.

The Latvian

2007

Hunting poster
NR

The old forest-guard lives in a house in the middle of the woods surrounded by his friends, the animals. One day he hears that the hunters are planning a hunt. The situation seems hopeless, but there is someone who can help – the Rescue Team.

Hunting

2007

Christmas poster
NR

Christmas is also coming to the Emergency Brigade House. Silink, Potterick and Bembelat's preparations for a nice evening are interrupted by another call. But you can't refuse a desperate mother whose children are waiting for Father Christmas.

Christmas

1994

Degunradzis poster
NR

Munks and Lemijs are thinking about how best to cut and divide the pineapple, but then a monkey appears who also really likes pineapples.

Degunradzis

1993

No artwork available
8.5

A serious businessman buys a new car and discovers a major flaw in his shiny new pet - it won't start. With the help of the men of the Emergency Brigade, his car becomes the original eco-friendly means of transport.

The Car

1994

No artwork available
NR

A pensioner decided to treat his 100th birthday guests to a unique cake in the shape of the Tower of Pisa. But, alas, no one will bake such a cake! As always, the men of the Emergency Brigade save the day...

Torte

1995

Tiger poster
NR

A dark caravan arrives in the city during the night. The next morning children find a big box left on the street. Strange sounds come from this box. The famous Rescue Team men have been called in to help...

Tiger

2010

Secrets of Paris poster
NR

Electricity goes off at the Eiffel tower security guard’s office. The guard tries to repair it, but he doesn't succeed, so he calls for “The Rescue Team”. The team arrives in their yellow plane and start the rescue operation by fixing cables. Initially, it works out well, but then the light suddenly goes off in all city of Paris, and the portrait of Mona Lisa disappears from the darkened Louvre Museum. However, things will work out fine in the end!

Secrets of Paris

2018

No artwork available
NR

This time, the Emergency Brigade's rescue operation takes place in a local hospital, where one of the brigade's dashing boys, Bembelāts, is unexpectedly admitted. His diagnosis is seemingly simple - a cold, or more precisely, a severe runny nose - but he has to experience first-hand the latest medical advances. This continues until... he is rescued from the over-care of the medical profession by his colleagues to discover the old truth: treat or no treat, a runny nose will eventually go away anyway...

Sneeze

1996

No artwork available
NR

Parents' only baby refuses to eat... The parents' desperation leads them to the resourceful men of the Emergency Brigade.

The Baby

1995

I'm Buying Your Husband poster
NR

On the eve of their 20th wedding anniversary, a wife finds out her husband has a lover who wants to buy him from her. The wife agrees.

I'm Buying Your Husband

2003

The Three Musketeers poster
5.7

A classic story known all over the world that has captured and thrilled generations of children and adults now in puppet animation format. With all of the sense of childish enthusiasm intact, this romantic story disguised as humour and farce will once again delight.

The Three Musketeers

2006

No artwork available
NR

Three men from the Emergency Brigade help a popular artist get out of the mess he has gotten himself into while working on a new painting. The source of all the trouble is glue. The glue is so sticky that everything sticks to it, including the artist himself. The result is a new, fantastic work of art.

The Glue

1994

No artwork available
NR

Peter often unwittingly triggers a whole series of ridiculous and tragicomic actions.

Mischiefs II - Spring

2006

No artwork available
NR

The country's prime minister travels on a special train to visit the nation. At one stop, the train leaves without a driver. The Emergency Brigade is called and tries its best to stop the train.

Rietumu ekspresis

1993

No artwork available
NR

Animation brigade's puppet animation film about Riga Film Studio.

Film Studio

1993

No artwork available
NR

Three men, Bembelats, Sīlinks, and Poteriks, work at the Opera, each in their own profession. Due to various comical, but for the men tragic, events, the guys are fired from their jobs. What should they do now? Their thoughts are interrupted by the desperate cries of a child. Without thinking twice, the men rush to save the child. This is how the Emergency Brigade is formed.

The Swan

1991

No artwork available
NR

A father goes to work in the morning, leaving his young son at home. The boy decides to take care of the birds he sees in the backyard, which he thinks have no real home. He builds a birdhouse and eventually the birds flock to his caring owner's backyard garden. When the parents return home in the evening, they find that the previously quiet and peaceful mansion is surrounded not only by birds but by a veritable garden of beasts...

A Birdcage

1996

Master's Secret Life poster
NR

A mysterious memory game about the Master – Arnolds Burovs (1915-2006), the founder of puppet animation in Latvia – retelling his life’s story through archival footage, film imagery and newly-created animation, which transports the Master to the dreamland of Bimini.

Master's Secret Life

2016

Poēm pa kulšen poster
NR

A cinematographic animation film directed by Jānis Cimmermanis. The screenplay is based on a work by Fricis Dziesma published in 1948, on the tradition of grain threshing in the Kurzeme region. Alongside the human lives, there are also the joys and woes of the little animals, and the lively whirl of intertwining events carries the viewer into the distant past, perhaps recognizing the fond memories shared by their parents or grandparents.

Poēm pa kulšen

2004

Poēm pa kulšen poster
NR

A cinematographic animation film directed by Jānis Cimmermanis. The screenplay is based on a work by Fricis Dziesma published in 1948, on the tradition of grain threshing in the Kurzeme region. Alongside the human lives, there are also the joys and woes of the little animals, and the lively whirl of intertwining events carries the viewer into the distant past, perhaps recognizing the fond memories shared by their parents or grandparents.

Poēm pa kulšen

2004

No artwork available
NR

The first task for the Emergency Brigade is to rescue the Monument, whose head has fallen off.

Piemineklis

1991

No artwork available
NR

A bearded man decides to take the serious step of removing his beard. But the manly wonder, carefully cultivated over the years, turns out to be so wildly thick that ordinary barber's tools cannot shorten it, let alone remove it altogether.The bewildered man calls the Emergency Brigade, and the three dashing lads do their best to fulfil the bearded man's dream of becoming beardless by any means imaginable. In the end, the desired effect is achieved - the man's face shines like a crescent moon... The only "but" is that his new look doesn't suit him at all. To save the day, the guys of the Emergency Brigade find a clever solution...

The Beard

1996

No artwork available
NR

The bank's working hours are over and its director closes the door, not noticing that thieves are hiding behind it. The thieves manage to break into the safe and have the money in their hands when the security grille falls down. The thieves call the emergency services and the operation to free them can begin.

The Bank

1992

No artwork available
NR

A flight is departing from the airport. An absent-minded mother checks in her child along with her suitcases. When she notices this, there is great commotion and, of course, the emergency services are called.

The Airport

1992

No artwork available
NR

Three children play football near the fence of the national army barracks. A bad thing happens - the ball flies over the fence. To retrieve the ball, the children seek help from the men of the "Emergency Brigade". Soon their car is there. The children explain what happened. The guard thinks that the flagged "Emergency Brigade" car belongs to a diplomatic mission, but as Bembelat is about to enter through the barracks gate, the guard is startled and sounds the alarm. The underground passage is ready and the men of the "Emergency Brigade" disappear into it one by one. Things get crazy in the barracks training area...

Bumba

1997

No artwork available
NR

Emergency crew men help the owner of a small café to get rid of racketeers.

Rekets

1993

No artwork available
NR

Animation team film about adventures with pasta.

Spageti

1993

No artwork available
NR

A young couple walks down the street. The wife talks and talks, without looking at her husband. When she finally looks, it turns out that the husband has disappeared. There is a big hole nearby, so he has fallen in. Panic sets in and the Emergency Brigade is called. Rescue work can begin underground.

Caurums

1992

No artwork available
NR

One owner takes great pride and care in his private lawn. One day he sees a mushroom growing there. The mushrooms are growing and there is no stopping them. The owner calls the Emergency Brigade, which arrives immediately and gets to work.

Šampinjoni

1992

No artwork available
NR

The newlyweds have settled into a hotel where they will spend their wedding night. The night's pleasures are interrupted by ghosts, and the emergency brigade is called.

Viesnīca

1991

Then It's Hi! Hi! Hee! poster
7.0

The elderly nursing home residents for years feel worthless and troublesome. But then a crazy idea strikes them - to waive their pensions and enroll in the army as volunteers thus saving the country from financial crisis and spending excitingly the last years of their lives. The oldies are wise enough at organizing this event and now real adventures begin.

Then It's Hi! Hi! Hee!

2014

No artwork available
NR

The men of the Emergency Brigade attend a piano concert by a famous pianist, but unfortunately they have to get down to work here too. As a result, the concert is cancelled and the audience is treated to the sound of a harp being bent.

The Piano

1994