CO–PRODUCER: ERA FILM (Lithuania), Planet Korda Pictures (Ireland), Vinegar Hill (Northern Ireland) DURATION: 52'/73'
PREMIERE: Scanorama, 19th November, 2010
FESTIVALS:
* 8 March 2011: Chicago Irish Film Festival (World Premiere) * 13 March 2011: Seachtain na Gaeilge, Irish Film Institute, "Ireland on Sunday" (Irish Premiere) * 16-26 March 2011 (screening date TBC): Cape Winelands Film Festival, Cape Town, South Africa * 17-30 March 2011 (screening date TBC): Kino Pavasaris, Vilnius * 6 April: Belfast Film Festival (UK Premiere) * 13-15 April (screening date TBC): Celtic Media Festival, Western Isles, Scotland
From 1863, Tsar Alexander II decreed an outright ban on all usage of the Lithuanian language which covered education, press, and publishing. Simple possession of literature in Lithuanian became a crime.A new type of linguistic resistance fighter emerged: the knygnešys, or “book smuggler,” would smuggle books, from East Prussia and distribute them risking being shot.
Retracing the history of the book smugglers our documentary, presented through the eyes of an Irish-speaking poet, inevitably draws parallels with the decline of the Irish language during the same century, a delicate and sensitive issue far from free of controversy. How is it that a small nation under comparable conditions of occupation and oppression managed to survive and preserve their “minor” national language, to the point where practically all Lithuanians today speak it proudly? And what is the relationship, for them and for us, between national tongue and national and personal identity?
IMPLEMENTED BY: PI "Vilnius - the Capital of European Culture 2009" and "ERA FILM".
PARTNERS: The National Film Center of Latvia, Estonian Film Foundation, Belgium producers' company "Associated Directors", European Documentary Network EDN.
How does Vilnius look like through the eyes of the foreigner? What is so surprising, delighting or shocking about the capital? Three partners of the project "Docres VNO" tried to answer these questions and made a documentary film "Vilnius - the City I Have Never Known". Three film-makers from Latvia, Estonia and Belgium settled in Vilnius and over several months tried to "domesticate" the capital of Lithuania and familiarize with it. Artists were editing this material in a workshop called "Media LAB" which was established specially for the purposes of this project. Such professional workshop is unique not only in Baltic region, but in Eastern Europe as well. The purpose of "Media LAB" is to create a chain of digital film development, production and distribution.
For more information about DOCRES VNO click DOCRES VNO.
SHARUNAS BARTAS - AN ARMY OF ONE
DURATION: 51'.
GENRE: creative documentary.
DIRECTOR: Guillaume Coudray.
SCRIPT WRITER: Guillaume Coudray.
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Audrius Kemežys.
PRODUCERS: Rasa Miškinytė, Guillaume Coudray, Jerome Amimer.
PRODUCTION: ERA FILM (Lithuania), LEITMOTIV PRODUCTION (France). Together with LRT and "Kinema".
SUPPORT: Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, Lithuanian Culture and Sports Support Foundation,Développé avec le soutien du programme MEDIA de l’Union Européenne.
DISTRIBUTORS: ERA FILM, LEITMOTIV PRODUCTION.
NATIONAL PREMIER: International Vilnius Film Festival 2010.
FESTIVALS: Festivals: 15th Vilnius International Film Festival (Lithuania); FIDMarseille International Documentary Film Festival (France); Kiev International Film Festival (Ukraine); Kaunas International Film Festival (Lithuania); Doc Ouest (France); the International Documentary Encounters (Colombia); The 13th International 1001 Documentary Film Festival (Turkey); International Film Festival “Listapad” Minsk (Belorus); Les ÉcransDocumentaires (France); The 10th international Festival of Creative Documentaries, « Les EscalesDocumentaires » (France); VII Edition of the Independent Film International Festival in Mar del Plata (Argentina); Brive festival "RencontresMoyenmétrage" (France)
SYNOPSIS: As a young man, I came to Vilnius 10 years ago to work with Lithuanian master filmmaker Sharunas Bartas. I wanted to discover what made Bartas' films so exceptional, with a unique balance of visual contemplation and dissolved narration. I lived in a corner of his "studio", an old wooden house in the middle of the forest, and bits by bits started to get inside his elusive creative process. But the full picture was missing. In order to put things together, I needed to come back.
PRODUCER: Jérôme Bellay, MAXIMAL PRODUCTIONS, France.
LINE - PRODUCER: Rasa Miskinyte (ERA FILM).
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Franck Rabel.
PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Jurgita Gerdvilaite.
PRODUCTION MANAGER: Benjamin Phuong Dung.
CAST: Féodor ATKINE, Camille PANONACLE, Karim BEKHADRA, Tomasz BIALKOWSKI, Albinas ARAKAUSKAS, Rasa JAKUCIONYTE, Gediminas GIRDVAINIS, Liubomiras LAUCEVICIUS, Aleksas KAZANAVICIUS.
This film shows the context of the events than Berlin wall was destroyed. It's includes the political game among Soviet Union, East and West Germany leaders. Jean-François DELASSUS is famous director of political documentary. This film is the second work which is made in Vilnius. MAXIMAL PRODUCTIONS (France) is the the producer of the film together with ERA FILM (Lithuania).
THE BUG TRAINER
PRODUCER: Rasa Miškinytė.
DIRECTORS: Linas Augutis, Donatas Ulvydas, Marek Skrobecki, Rasa Miškinytė.
SCRIPT: Linas Augutis, Donatas Ulvydas, Jonas Banys.
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Ramūnas Greičius.
EDITOR: Audrius Naujalis.
COMPOSER: Linas Rimša.
SOUND DESIGNER: Arturas Pugačiauskas.
ART DIRECTOR: Jurgita Gerdvilaitė.
ACTOR: Gediminas Girdvainis.
CO-PRODUCTION: SE-MA-FOR Film Production (Poland), NHK (Japan), AVRO (The Netherlands), YLE COPRODUCTIONS (Finland), In association with broadcasters: DR TV (Denmark), SVT (Sweden), NRK (Norway), TSR (Switzerland), ETV (Estonia), LRT (Lithuania).
GENRE: creative documentary.
DURTATION: 53'.
FORMAT: HD and blow up to 35mm.
PREMIER: TV – NHK (Japan) May 15th , 2008.
FESTIVAL PREMIER: 43rd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival – International documentary competition.
FESTIVALS: 43rd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (Czech Republic); 19th Arsenals (Latvia); 2morrow International Film Festival (Russia), DOK-Leipzig (Germany); 50th North Europe Film Festival Lubeck (Germany); 6th International Documentary Festival (Taiwan); SCANORAMA (Lithuania); 5th Vilnius Documentary Film Festival (Lithuania), Black nights (Estonia); ANIMATION DREAMS (Estonia); Europe Film Festival in Bucharest (Romania); Docaviv The Televiv International Documentary Festival (Israel); New Europe Film Festival (Great Britain); 13th Sofia International Film Festival (Bulgaria); Teheran animation festival (Iran), 13thThomas Mann International Film Festival (Lithuania), International Berdiansk Film Festival (Ukraine), International London Animation Festival (Great Britain); International Split Film Festival (Croatia), ReAnimania International Animation Film Festival of Yerevan (Armenia), Minsk International Film Festival Listapad (Belarus), Lithuanian Film Festival in Chicago (USA), 12th Wisconsin Film Festival (USA); NorthWest Forum (Seattle, USA); ANIFEST (Chech Republic), Kiev International Film Festival.
AWARDS: Jury Prize (16th International Minsk film Festival);Best Animated Educational Film (ReAniamania'09 International Animation Film festival in Yerevan); Grand Prix (International Berdiansk Film Festival); Lithuanian Cinema and TV film awards "Silver Crane": The Best Director work; The Best Screenwriting; The Best Composer Name; The Best professional work for producer Rasa Miskinyte.
TV SCREENING: NHK (Japan); SVT (Sweden); AVRO (The Netherlands).
SUPPORT: Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, Lithuanian Culture and Sports Support Foundation, EU Media Program, Polish Cinema Institute. In co-production with: NHK (Japan), AVRO (The Netherlands), YLE Co-productions (Finland). In association with: DR TV (Denmark), SVT (Sweden), NRK (Norway), TSR (Switzerland), ETV (Estonia), LRT (Lithuania). Under the patronage of UNESCO Lithuania.
CO - PRODUCTION: MDR/Arte (Germany), LRT (Lithuania).
DURATION: 53'.
FAREWELL FILE
DIRECTOR: Jean-François Delassus.
GENRE: creative documentary.
DURATION: 2x52'.
PRODUCER: ROCHE Productions (France).
LINE PRODUCER: ERA FILM (Lithuania).
At the beginning of the 1980s, at the time when François Mitterrand and Ronald Reagan come to power, a Soviet mole reveals to the French secret services that Soviet economy and its military industry have only been holding together thanks to intensive spying practiced by the KGB. The information provided by triple Agent Farewell greatly influence the hard-line policy maintained by the American president vis-à-vis Moscow. Along with the election of Polish Pope John Paul II and the emergence of Solidarnosc in Poland, Farewell is one of the stones that have hit and helped tumble the Berlin Wall.
SPANISH FOR ADULTS
DIRECTOR/SCRIPT: Tomas Tamosaitis.
PRODUCER: Rasa Miskinyte, ERA FILM (Lithuania).
CO–PRODUCTION WITH: EVOHÉ FILMS (Spain), Televisio de Catalunya (Spain). In association with ZDF/Arte (Germany/France), YLE Co-productions (Finland).
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Marta Javierre, Laisvūnas Karvelis.
PREMIER: 2007 Catalonia version; 2008 International version.
FESTIVALS: International Film Festival "Kino pavasaris" (Lithuania); 36th Huesca International Film Festival (Spain); International Kiev Human Rights Documentary Film Festival DOCUDAYS.UA (Ukraine); East Silver (Czech Republic); Vilnius International Documentary Film Festival (Lithuania); International Glasgow Human Rights Documentary Film Festival DOCUMENTS (United Kingdom); Poznan International Documentary Film Festival "Transyt" (Poland); 10th International Documentary Film Festival "Crossraods of Europe" (Poland), International Berdiansk Film Festival (Ukraine), Lithuanian Film festival in Chicago (USA).
AWARDS: First prize in the category for documentary over 40min (TRANSYT, Poland); Grand Prix of the 10th International Film Festival (Lublin, Poland).
SPANISH FOR ADULTS takes a warm and serene look at a Spanish language class for adult immigrants in the Spanish heartlands. A tiny classroom is a meeting point and a shelter for those who came to Spain driven by "European dream" to start a new life. Brought together by fate into a small Spanish town, facing immigrants' fate, alienated and homesick, these people indulge in playful and enthusiastic language-learning process, guided by the extraordinary teacher Maria Antonia. 48 year-old Maria Antonia gets her inspiration from her dreams. She is devoted to her life dream of becoming an actress. It seems sometimes that the classroom transforms to the stage, with Antonia as a leading actress on it. SPANISH FOR ADULTS is a nostalgic and funny portrait of people who still believe that whatever happens it is necessary to keep on dreaming.
A TRIP TO THE GREAT LITTLE COUNTRY
DURATION: 5'.
FORMAT: HD.
DIRECTOR: Linas AUGUTIS.
SCREENWRITER: Rytis Juodeika.
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Rolandas Leonavičius.
PRODUSER: Rasa Miskinyte, ERA FILM.
MUSIC: INCULTO "Welcome".
EDITOR: Audrys Naujalis.
CAST: Linas Zubė, "Gytis Ivanauskas Theate".
3D ANIMATION by ALTSS (Alternative Screen Studio).
PREMIER: 2007.
AWARDS: Prize for creativity (Art&Tur Festival – International Tourism Film Festival).
This idea of this video music film is to present Lithuania - A Baltic Sea country - employing exceptional visual style, original concept and artistic means.The film is in the away imitates a road-movie, a trip little country, which is taken in the studio set. The impression of traveling through the country is reached by a constantly moving camera and synthesis of various art forms - cinema, animation, music, contemporary dance, theater and photography.
GIRLS DON'T CRY
DURATION: 5'.
FORMAT: Beta SP.
GENRE: documentary.
DIRECTOR: Linas Augutis.
SCRIPT: Renata Petrauskaitė.
PRODUCERS: ERA FILM (Lithuania); TVE International (Great Britain).
PREMIER: 2006.
GIRLS DON'T CRY is a story about a woman, who is interested in gender equality. This interest terminated her 2-year-long relationship with her boyfriend. This short film helps to understand Lithuanian attitude toward gender equality.
THE BUS
DURATION: 56'.
FORMAT: 16mm.
PRODUCER: Arko Okk, ACUBA FILMS (Estonia).
CO–PRODUCTION WITH: HARGLA FILM (Latvia) ERA FILM (Lithuania).
TV BROADCASTERS: YLE TEEMA, DR-TV, ETV, LTV, NDR/ARTE, LRT.
PRODUCTION: 2004.
AWARDS: best co-production & best director's work at International Film Festival “Arsenals” (Latvia).
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