Beginning in Latvia, a NATO member on Russia’s border, the film is both a personal and global journey into the world of civil defence. In modern-day Riga, most shelters are abandoned, repurposed into warehouses, data centres or cafés. Is the message here that there is no real reason to panic and prepare for the worst, or is it that we have just forgotten how to do it?
The film’s characters take matters into their own hands, working both on a private and public level. The film ventures beyond Latvia to countries where civil defence is deeply embedded in national consciousness—Finland, where entire underground cities stand ready; Switzerland, where every resident has a designated shelter; to secret Cold War bunkers and modern survivalist movements.
Blending intimate character studies with sweeping geopolitical context, Going Underground is a cinematic collage that examines how fear shapes our built environment. And, in the end, it asks: When a crisis comes, will there truly be a place for all of us?
Participant: Armands Začs