Synopsis
Sigurds is a liftman in a major hospital in Riga. The lift he operates is half a century old, and it has obviously served its time. The frequent problems it causes may irk the lift users, especially when the lift stops between floors, but Sigurds takes it stoically. He knows the lift like the back of his hand, and it makes him feel needed. Meanwhile, a new automatic lift is being installed in the adjacent shaft. "When it's ready, they'll pension me off," Sigurds says with a smile. However, it's clear that it's not the authorities that keep Sigurds at his job, but the customary clacking of the lift, the odour of the hospital, the changing faces of the patients, and the pretty nurses.