Wise Guys

Directed by Ieva Ozoliņa · Documentary · 90 min

Wise Guys is the real life Sopranos.

After Latvia broke free from the Soviet Union in 1990, organized crime was flourishing. It was a period of wild capitalism. When it joins the European Union, Victor and Jan, tough guys and members of organized crime, make a bold move —they go legal. They start the only business they know: a debt collection agency. They learn to pay taxes, do bookkeeping, but still rely on the criminal methods from their past. Victor is serious and disciplined. He wanted to be a general in the army, but a military trial ruined his career. Jan is the opposite, wild and fun-loving, into motorbikes and vinyl records, but also a caring father trying to protect his young son from his dark past. Will their friendship survive? Can bad guys truly become and remain good guys?