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CNN World Report

Cartoon Upsets Latvian Parliament

Aired July 01, 2001 - 14:22   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ASIEH NAMDAR, CNN ANCHOR: To the politically minded in Latvia the national parliament is no laughing matter. But today it is the subject of a television cartoon with caricatures of members of Parliament out of work. The creators of the series say it is all in fun, but others view it rather seriously.

Latvia's TV reports from Riga.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ILZE ALKNE, LATVIA TV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the place in Latvia where all the decisions are made. It is a hard work for the members of the Parliament but the cartoon is seen in a most funny way, the first people that saw the film were the members of the Parliament.

Although the usual parliamentary meetings usually take a whole day, the cartoonist managed to show (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the state parliament justice. The filmmakers do not want to name any of the show's members of the Parliament, but so far the local public some of their actions are recognizable.

Some members of the Parliament are really upset because of the frequent usage of this during the meetings.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I hope this cartoon will help to solve this problem in the Parliament and will stop the use of mobile phones during the meetings, maybe the phones will be taken away.

ALKNE: In the meantime, there are people who recognize themselves in the cartoon but they wish they did not look like artists had performed them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I did recognize myself in the cartoon because of the blond hair. I like to believe my hair does not look like a doll and my cheeks are not that like they have them in the cartoon.

ALKNE: The director admits that not everything that is shown in the film refers to the reality. For example, this part in Latvia, where it is this summer, where the people always are staying cool, this situation seems almost impossible. UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I hope we will never experience these kind of scenes. This is a warning not to let our instincts overcome us.

ALKNE: This artist of the cartoon have been named several time. That proves that real masterpieces are made through real intellectual anguish, and the main idea of this cartoon was not to laugh and to criticize our authorities, but to make our life better.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The best way how to fight with bad things is to show them in a funny way, then they appear not so important and big, they will not harm your life that much.

ALKNE: The cartoonists say that although they try their best to create something new, it did not work out. Just for the real life Parliament, everything comes so natural, so that they can just copy it and show it with them.

This is Latvia Television for the CNN WORLD REPORT.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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