Cinema of Lithuania
Encyclopedia
The birth of Cinema of Lithuania dates back to 1909. The first short films in 1909 where shot by Antanas Račiūnas who filmed the sights of his native village and Vladislav Starevich who made a short film Prie Nemuno (By the Nieman River, 1909) The first Lithuanian newsreel screened in cinemas in 1921 was made by Feognijus Dunajevas.
The first film production companies and first films schools were founded in 1926. In 1927 a short film Rūpestingas tėvas was produced by Lietfilm. Lithuania's most important film directors during the era were Jurgis Linartas and Vladas Stipaitis. The Soldier Lithuania's Defender (1928) and a feature film
Onytė ir Jonelis (1931) produced by a film company Akis, are the most notable films of the era.
After the Soviet takeover in 1940 the Lithuanian Republican Newsreel Studio was founded, in 1962 it was renamed the Lithuanian Film Studio.
The first Soviet era feature film "Marytė" using Lithuanian composer and actors was produced by Mosfilm
. Until 1956 all Lithuanian feature films were made in cooperation with other motion-picture studios in Soviet Union focusing on Communist themes.
After the death of Stalin in 1953 a more liberal period in Soviet Union's cultural policies followed. Filmmakers started to enjoy greater artistic control at the same time the Soviet State Committee for Cinematography (Goskino
) in Moscow provided the money, state censorship body Glavlit and CPSU
Department of Culture had the control over releasing the movies.
In 1957 the post Stalinist era Lithuanian feature film Žydrasis horizontas (The Blue Horizon) was directed by Vytautas Mikalauskas.
In the late 1980s an independent Lithuanian national cinema industry was reborn during Persestroika social and political reforms in the Soviet Union. The first independent film production studio Kinema
was founded by the director Šarūnas Bartas
in 1987. Another notable documentary filmmaker emerged during the era is Arūnas Matelis
.
After Lithuania regained independence on March 11, 1990 the state funding of filmmaking drastically decreased and smaller studios emerged instead. During the era about 10 documentaries and 2 feature films have been made yearly. The most notable directors have been Vytautas Žalakevičius
, the director of Žvėris išeinantis is jūros (The Beast Emerging from the Sea) (1992) , and Algimantas Puipa the winner of the Ecumenical Jury Prize at Lübeck Nordic Film Days and the winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Rouen Nordic Film Festival
for Vilko dantų karoliai (A Wolf Teeth Necklace) (1997).
The most internationally known film director of Lithuanian descent born in Chicago
, Illinois
, USA is Robert Zemeckis
The first film production companies and first films schools were founded in 1926. In 1927 a short film Rūpestingas tėvas was produced by Lietfilm. Lithuania's most important film directors during the era were Jurgis Linartas and Vladas Stipaitis. The Soldier Lithuania's Defender (1928) and a feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
Onytė ir Jonelis (1931) produced by a film company Akis, are the most notable films of the era.
After the Soviet takeover in 1940 the Lithuanian Republican Newsreel Studio was founded, in 1962 it was renamed the Lithuanian Film Studio.
The first Soviet era feature film "Marytė" using Lithuanian composer and actors was produced by Mosfilm
Mosfilm
Mosfilm is a film studio, which is often described as the largest and oldest in Russia and in Europe. Its output includes most of the more widely-acclaimed Soviet films, ranging from works by Tarkovsky and Eisenstein , to Red Westerns, to the Akira Kurosawa co-production and the epic Война и Мир...
. Until 1956 all Lithuanian feature films were made in cooperation with other motion-picture studios in Soviet Union focusing on Communist themes.
After the death of Stalin in 1953 a more liberal period in Soviet Union's cultural policies followed. Filmmakers started to enjoy greater artistic control at the same time the Soviet State Committee for Cinematography (Goskino
Goskino
Goskino USSR is the abbreviated name for the USSR State Committee for Cinematography in the Soviet Union...
) in Moscow provided the money, state censorship body Glavlit and CPSU
Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the only legal, ruling political party in the Soviet Union and one of the largest communist organizations in the world...
Department of Culture had the control over releasing the movies.
In 1957 the post Stalinist era Lithuanian feature film Žydrasis horizontas (The Blue Horizon) was directed by Vytautas Mikalauskas.
In the late 1980s an independent Lithuanian national cinema industry was reborn during Persestroika social and political reforms in the Soviet Union. The first independent film production studio Kinema
Kinema
Kinema may refer to:*kinema — a popular Nepali dish which is prepared by fermentation of soybean. Kinema is cooked and taken its soup with rice....
was founded by the director Šarūnas Bartas
Šarunas Bartas
Šarūnas Bartas is a Lithuanian film director. One of the most prominent Lithuanian film directors internationally from the late 20th century...
in 1987. Another notable documentary filmmaker emerged during the era is Arūnas Matelis
Arunas Matelis
Arūnas Matelis is an acclaimed Lithuanian documentary film director. From 1979 till 1983 Arūnas Matelis studied Mathematics at Vilnius University and later in 1989 graduated from the Lithuanian Music Academy. In 1992, he established one of the first independent film production companies in...
.
After Lithuania regained independence on March 11, 1990 the state funding of filmmaking drastically decreased and smaller studios emerged instead. During the era about 10 documentaries and 2 feature films have been made yearly. The most notable directors have been Vytautas Žalakevičius
Vytautas Žalakevicius
Vytautas Žalakevičius was a Lithuanian film director and writer.-Biography:...
, the director of Žvėris išeinantis is jūros (The Beast Emerging from the Sea) (1992) , and Algimantas Puipa the winner of the Ecumenical Jury Prize at Lübeck Nordic Film Days and the winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Rouen Nordic Film Festival
Rouen Nordic Film Festival
The Rouen Nordic Film Festival was a film festival hold in Rouen, France for screening and competition films made in Nordic and Baltic countries, Holland and Belgium...
for Vilko dantų karoliai (A Wolf Teeth Necklace) (1997).
The most internationally known film director of Lithuanian descent born in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, USA is Robert Zemeckis
Robert Zemeckis
Robert Lee Zemeckis is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Zemeckis first came to public attention in the 1980s as the director of the comedic time-travel Back to the Future film series, as well as the Academy Award-winning live-action/animation epic Who Framed Roger Rabbit ,...
Actors
- Regimantas Adomaitis
- Donatas BanionisDonatas BanionisDonatas Banionis is a Lithuanian and Soviet actor. He is best known in the West for his performance in the lead role of Tarkovsky's Solaris as Kris Kelvin....
- Ingeborga DapkūnaitėIngeborga DapkunaiteIngeborga Dapkūnaitė is a Lithuanian actress, who stars mostly in Russian movies.-Youth:Ingeborga Dapkunaite was born in Vilnius, Lithuanian SSR. Her father was a diplomat and her mother a meteorologist. For many years her parents worked in Moscow, and she only saw them on holidays...
(Seven Years in TibetSeven Years in Tibet (1997 film)Seven Years in Tibet is a 1997 film based on the book of the same name written by Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer on his experiences in Tibet between 1944 and 1951 during the Second World War, the interim period, and the Chinese People's Liberation Army's invasion of Tibet in 1950. The film...
) - Laurence HarveyLaurence HarveyLaurence Harvey was a Lithuanian-born actor who achieved fame in British and American films.- Early life :Harvey maintained throughout his life that his birth name was Laruschka Mischa Skikne. However, his legal name was Zvi Mosheh Skikne. He was the youngest of three boys born to Ber "Boris" and...
- Aurelija MikušauskaitėAurelija MikušauskaitėAurelija Mikušauskaitė was a Lithuanian film, television and theatre actress.- Biography :...
- Antanas ŠkėmaAntanas ŠkemaAntanas Škėma was a Lithuanian writer, stage actor and director. His best known work is the novel The White Shroud .-Early life and career:...
- Adolfas VečerskisAdolfas VecerskisAdolfas Večerskis , is a Lithuanian movie and stage actor, director and translator. He began his career in films, but later chose to play mainly on the stage. Večerskis, his wife Viola, and their younger daughter Juta live in Vilnius, where he is the General Director of the Lithuanian National...
Directors
- Arūnas MatelisArunas MatelisArūnas Matelis is an acclaimed Lithuanian documentary film director. From 1979 till 1983 Arūnas Matelis studied Mathematics at Vilnius University and later in 1989 graduated from the Lithuanian Music Academy. In 1992, he established one of the first independent film production companies in...
-critically acclaimed - Šarūnas BartasŠarunas BartasŠarūnas Bartas is a Lithuanian film director. One of the most prominent Lithuanian film directors internationally from the late 20th century...
- Artūras BarysasArturas BarysasArtūras Barysas "Baras" was a Lithuanian "counter-culture" actor, singer, photographer, and filmmaker, known as the father of modern Lithuanian avant-garde....
- Romas LileikisRomas LileikisRomas Lileikis is a Lithuanian poet, musician, and film director.Lileikis is a director of five movies: Aš esu , Olandų gatvė , Anapus , K+M+B , and Saša , and author of three music albums: Kiaulės sakmė , Evangelija nuo Romo , and...
- Adolfas MekasAdolfas MekasAdolfas Mekas was a Lithuanian-born film director, and brother of Jonas Mekas. He is principally known for his work in the United States....
- Jonas MekasJonas MekasJonas Mekas is a Lithuanian-born American filmmaker, writer, and curator who has often been called "the godfather of American avant-garde cinema." His work has been exhibited in museums and festivals across Europe and America.-Biography:...
- Jonas VaitkusJonas VaitkusJonas Vaitkus is a lecturer, theatre and film director well known in Lithuania and throughout Europe. From 1969 to 1974 Jonas Vaitkus studied at the State Theatre, Music and Cinematography Institute of Leningrad...
- Vytautas ŽalakevičiusVytautas ŽalakeviciusVytautas Žalakevičius was a Lithuanian film director and writer.-Biography:...
- Algimantas Puipa
Acclaimed Lithuanian films
- Before Flying Back to the EarthBefore Flying Back to the EarthBefore Flying Back to the Earth is the first feature-length documentary film by the Lithuanian film director Arūnas Matelis...
(2005) A Documentary on a child with Leukaemia. Best Lithuanian Film of 2005. - Forest of the GodsForest of the GodsForest of the Gods is a 2005 film, directed by Algimantas Puipa, based on the Balys Sruoga novel of the same name....
(2005)
Festivals
- AXX
- Ciaba Film Festival
- Kaunas International Film FestivalKaunas International Film FestivalKaunas International Film Festival is a film festival founded in 2007 and held in October each year in Kaunas and Vilnius, Lithuania. In 2011, films from the Festival's programme were also screened in Panevėžys and Nida, Lithuania...
- Kino pavasaris