Emily. Queen of the Press Season 1, Episode 4: Court

'Atpūta'

1924. Publisher Emily Benjamiņa announces an ideas competition for a new weekly magazine in the editorial office of "Jaunākās Ziņas". Not everyone, including her husband Anton Benjamiņš, is enthusiastic about the idea, but Emilia is determined to have her way, no matter what it takes.

53 min

Heir

Emilia's sister, actress Annija Simsone, has come to Riga from Germany for a visit. Emilia is determined to persuade her sister to let her adopt her son Žoržs, who lives with his grandmother and rarely sees his mother. Emilia is in love with the boy and wants to make him the heir to her family name and her successful business.

53 min

Castle

The Benjamins have just moved into Fābu House, a grand townhouse on Krišjāņa Barona Street, which has been decorated to Emilia's taste without sparing any expense. She proudly shows it off to the editorial staff of "Jaunākās Ziņas". Meanwhile, the newspaper, without checking its facts, published an article denigrating the Latvian government and a Swedish company, causing a scandal of the highest level.

44 min

A Coup

The 1934 coup d'état of Ulmanis was accompanied by drastic press censorship imposed by the Minister of Public Affairs, Bērziņš. Unable to accept it, Anton quit his editorial job and turns to farming.

50 min

Betrayal

58 min

Destinies

The documentary series uses unique, previously unpublished photographs from the family archives of Emilia and Anton Benjamins and Juris Benjamins. The grandchildren of Emilia Benjamiņa, Pēteris Benjamiņš, Ilze Stokvuda-Benjamiņa, Emilia's grandson Pēteris Aihers, great-granddaughter of Anton Benjamiņš Kristīne Čakste, daughter of writer and "Jaunāko Ziņu" employee Jūlijs Lācis, Lalita Muižniece, and granddaughter Māra Ķimele, and other descendants of the former newspaper editorial staff participate in the documentary episode with their stories.

64 min