Culture, EU – Baltic States, Latvia, Markets and Companies

Ivars Zviedris.

The Latvian pickers hit the headlines in 2005 after they were rescued from an island by lifeboats, and refused to make a complaint against their employer, who had left them there, writes LETA.

Their refusal raised eyebrows among Irish politicians, who were later compelled to call for greater measures to prevent exploitation and mistreatment of migrant workers after the incident.

The immigrants continue to willingly live a hard existence on the rugged Irish coast picking shellfish, their hours of work dictated by the tide times, so that they can send much-needed money back home, the newspaper reports.

The co-producer of the documentary ''Tide'', Brendan Culleton from ''Akajava Films'', says the film exposes a completely isolated aspect to life in Ireland which most Irish people do not know exists.

"It is a society that we did not know was there, and you really sympathize with them. It is quite bleak. It is filmed in winter so all you see is rain and rocks and the cold,'' Culleton said.

Everyday, the Latvians, go out to sea whenever the tide is out, and they pick shell-fish, which are eventually sold in France.

They live on the periphery of Irish society with work as their main focus, and they largely do not integrate with the Irish.

The film won ''Best Documentary 2009'' at the ''Lielais Kristaps'' film-festival in Latvia, and the producers are hoping it will be accepted to the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival next February.

Culleton added that the film will produce a real surprise to Irish viewers, since the shell-fish industry on the Dublin coast is currently exclusive to the immigrants.

"No one knows about them. Irish people do not want to do that work, so they have found a space in Irish society that was not filled," he added.