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Director and co-screenwriter Viesturs Kairiss' Latvian drama Leaving By the Way examines what happens to the lives of a wife and son after a man disappears. Ilga Ziedlapa (Elita Klavina) has begun an affair with Viktors (Eriks Vilsons) after learning that her husband has probably died at sea. Partly because of her grief, Ilga has not yet informed her nine-year-old son Dauka (Davis Bergs) of his father's likely demise. As the boy's addled emotional state leads to more and more erratic behavior, Ilga must also contend with the mind games of Viktors' ex-wife Ruta (Guna Zarina) who is not happy with his new relationship. A comic subplot involves Ilka's brother and an unfortunate run-in with a choir. Leaving By the Way was an entry in the Latvian National Film Festival.