2025 VIRTUAL SCREENING LINE-UP
ACCESSIBLE NATIONWIDE NOVEMBER 10-17 VIA OUR ELEVENT PLATFORM
This year virtual offerings comprise a selection of picks from past festivals, bringing back Baltic films that have not had a chance to screen in the United States since their release.
OLEG
Juris Kursietis, Latvia, Belgium, Lithuania, France, 2019
108 min. In English with some Russian, Polish, Latviam Frence, Flemish, with English subtitles.
This harrowing drama follows Oleg, a young Russian-speaking butcher from Latvia who travels to Brussels in search of better wage, where a series of misfortunes lead him to fall under the sway of a charismatic Polish criminal. "Gritty and uncompromising," the film highlights the perilous situation that migrant workers and stateless citizens can quickly find themselves in as industrious criminals fill in the social systems' gaps. Oleg first premiered at Scandinavia House as a part of the 2020 NYBFF; director Juris Kursietis' new film, The Exalted, will be screening in person as a part of this year's lineup.
REMEMBER TO BLINK (Per arti)
Austėja Urbaitė, Lithuania, 2022
109 minutes. In Lithuanian, French, with English subtitles
This captivating drama explores cultural conflicts that arise from a French couple's adoption of two Lithuanian children. The film skillfully unveils the characters’ multifaceted and irrational traits, weaving a tapestry of relationships that question the boundaries of identity, and exposes a form of “neo-colonialism” reflecting broader cultural conflicts. Remember to Blink first premiered at Scandinavia House as a part of the 2024 NYBFF; the film's editor Gabrielė Urbonaitė will return this year to discuss her directorial debut Renovation.
SUMMER SURVIVORS (Išgyventi vasarą)
Marija Kavtaradzė, Lithuania, 2019
91 min. In Lithuanian with English subtitles
A psychology postgraduate student escorts two patients and their nurse to a seaside psychiatric clinic. Along their journey, they break through each other’s barriers, delve into the sources of their various traumas, and discover the lasting imprints left on their fragile souls. Hailed by Cineuropa as an "exceptionally sensitive and heart-warming film," Summer Survivors first premiered at Scandinavia House as a part of the 2019 NYBFF; a new film co-written by Marija Kavtaradze, The Visitor, will close out the festival this year.
THE LITTLE COMRADE (Seltsimees laps)
Mooninka Siimets, Estonia, 2018
100 minutes. In Estonian with English subtitles
Praised as "affecting and richly visualized" (Variety), this emotionally resonant historical drama, set in Stalinist 1950 Estonia, follows 6-year-old Leelo as she reels from the aftermath of her mother being sent to a Siberian prison camp. The Little Comrade first premiered at Scandinavia House as a part of the 2019 NYBFF; the film's director Moonika Siimets will return this year to discuss her new absurdist anthology The Black Hole.
THE MUTINY (Dumpis)
Andrejs Ekis, Latvia 2024
7 x 40 min. In Latvian and Russian with English subtitles
North American Premiere
Based on the true story that inspired The Hunt for Red October, The Mutiny is set in 1975 Riga, where Soviet officer Valery Spagin has just been appointed Captain of the Third Rank to the Soviet naval ship Storozhevoy. He embraces the opportunity to serve his country and vows to uphold its communist ideals. But as Spagin and his family find themselves unwelcome among their new neighbors, he discovers widespread military abuse of power—forcing him to confront his own belief system. Facing mounting threats from a corrupt government, Spagin incites a riot aboard the ship, which soon becomes larger than intended. In fear of international disgrace, the Soviet authorities take drastic action.
All episodes will be available to stream following the in-person premiere of the first four episodes at Scandinavia House on November 7.
TREE OF ETERNAL LOVE (Kiik, kirves ja Igavese Armastuse eel Puu) Paliale, Estonia, 2021.
82 min. In Estonian with English subtitles
This "sardonic, charming comedy" follows Kiik, a young car Estonian mechanic haunted by a recent breakup, as he sets out to chop down the tree on which he once naively etched the initials of his former girlfriend. Bringing his best friend along for the quirky, colorful, and unpredictable road trip, the two find that the journey to the tree is not as straight as they think. The Tree of Eternal Love first premiered at Scandinavia House as a part of the 2022 NYBFF; the film's director Meel Peliale will return this year to discuss his new feature Rolling Papers.
TO BE CONTINUED (Turpinājums)
Ivars Seleckis, Latvia, 2018
97 min. In Latvian English subtitles
Shot over the course of two years, this powerful documentary by acclaimed Latvian directors Ivars Seleckis and Armands Zacs intimately profiles seven children in various parts of their home country, all finding themselves at the intersection of various historical, social, and economic processes. To Be Continued, first premiered at Scandinavia House in 2019; the directors' follow-up film, To Be Continued: Teenhood, will be screening in person as a part of this year's lineup.