Regimantas Adomaitis

Film shows dramatic events in a small Lithuanian village community, where people are split between the soviet supporters and the “brothers in the woods” – anti-Soviet guerrillas – who are fighting to defend their land from the Soviets after the end of the Second World War. The film story is about the revenge of the sons of a village chairman, who is killed by guerrillas. The choice to make the film following some Western genre conventions allowed Žalakevičus approach the soviet version of recent Lithuanian history in a more open and humanistic way. Nobody wanted to die – neither the father who was killed, nor the Brothers from the forest; and nobody wanted to kill, either.Read More »

THE DEVIL’S BRIDE (VELNIO NUOTAKA) – 1974, Lithuanian Film Centre, 78 min. Imagine a wildly surreal early 1970s Lithuanian rock opera directed by Ken Russell circa TOMMY that is equal parts JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (wailing guitar-heavy ballads, religious theme), FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (rural village setting) and THE WICKER MAN / BLOOD ON SATAN’S CLAW (folklore / folk magic), and you have some idea of the elemental strangeness and beauty of director Arūnas Žebriūnas’ THE DEVIL’S BRIDE. The film opens with one of our favorite musical sequences ever: a long-haired flower child God sits on his throne in the heavenly mountains, adored by angelic hosts in white robes and wings. Read More »

“This is one of the most successful and unique Lithuanian films. By choosing the form of a musical or a rock opera the author remained in touch with the book, but at the same time created an original work of cinematography. Vivid and expressive although boldly modernised spectacle driven by catchy music composed by Ganelinas was made in a funny and relaxed manner. The Devil’s Bride is busting the myth about the grim nature of the Lithuanians. It strikes with cheerful dynamics and remains an exclusive example of Lithuanian cinematography.” Film critic Saulius MacaitisRead More »

“A movie about the life and activities of the civil war hero Sergey Lazo (1894-1920), a poet, a publicist, a war strategist, a party activist, a diplomat fluent in several languages, a direct descendant of a noble Moldavian family, the son of a land-owner, a former student of the Moscow University and an officer of the tsarist army who determinately crossed over to the revolutionaries and headed the partisan movement during the struggle against the Japanese intervention in the Far East. At the age of 26 Lazo literally burnt in the revolutionary fire. The enemies threw him into the boiler of a steam locomotive and burnt him alive.Read More »

The Second World War is ending. Widower Kasparas moves in with his brother Andrius, who lives on the other side of the bay where the German occupation has already ended. Andrius’ wife Egne is still in love with Kasparas. Her relatives and a group of Lithuanian nationalists are planning on fleeing to Sweden. Egne persuades her husband that they should all go together, hoping to once again regain Kasparas’ affection after crossing the sea. But Kasparas opts to return home and border guards detain Andrius. Nine long years pass before the brothers see each other again….Read More »