My life is a movie

The book is dedicated to a teenage audience and takes readers back to a somewhat forgotten past. The story unfolds in the second half of the 1990s, when glossy magazines, advertising, and television series rapidly entered Latvian everyday life.

The book’s main character, thirteen-year-old Beta, has little desire to apply for a casting competition for a role in an upcoming teen television series. Her mother, however, sees it as a wonderful opportunity. To everyone’s surprise, Beta succeeds in making it among the selected teenagers, and an entire year of her life passes in preparation for her big moment of stardom on television screens.

“This Is My Series is a partly true, partly fictional story, enriched with a generous dose of irresponsible fantasy,” says Luīze Pastore. “It is a story about late-1990s society, when people were only beginning to develop an understanding of ethical boundaries. It was a time when no one really knew what kind of television content was suitable for children and teenagers, or what kinds of relationships between a director and an underage actor were acceptable. It was a time when anything seemed possible. Projects of all kinds were pushed through by whatever means necessary, as everyone tried to survive and improvise according to their own understanding. The series Supertīnis is one such project, within which Beta experiences her own coming-of-age story.”

Luīze Pastore’s latest work has been published in a format that resembles a magazine more than a traditional book. “The book’s unusual design helps reflect the fragmented nature of a teenager’s inner world and the emotional rollercoaster they experience at the moment when a major turning point is just about to happen in a young person’s life: the moment they grow up,” the author explains.

Published by Aminori, illustrator Rute Marta Jansone