Today, you can let your blood run wild, try Riga balm mixed with satire, and discuss the world order, where you have to die at the age of 50 due to sustainability.
How sweet were the days when Bon Jovi’s „It’s My life“ topped the charts and was played in every Saab? How is it possible that nowadays people disappear of their own accord just like car radios in the 90s?
Thursday’s film selection rises many sharp questions that have no single answer, but leave room for discussion and personal opinion. The Lithuanian film Jōhatsu dissects a powerful thriller, dissects the phenomenon of deliberate disappearances in Japan, which has also become more widespread here. A powerful film Alfa takes the viewers into the Alps where nature has the last word even for the toughest of men.
On the other hand, Black Velvet tries to follow in the footsteps of its idol, Lars von Tier, with a film so awkward it fills cinemas with laughter. But Carole and Grey are on a heartfelt, life-affirming mission to get their dog back from the hands of an ex-boyfriend.
Check out all the films that are screening on Thursday here!
Director: L. Lužytė, N. Milerius; country: Lithuania
21 Nov, Thursday at 20 at Coca-Cola Plaza
World Premie with the filmmakers
The Japanese phenomenon of deliberate disappearance in a chilling Lithuanian thriller. A ship explodes. A man dies. A man disappears without a trace. Is it an accident or a cover-up for something darker? Actress Žygimantė Jakštaitė (“Runner”) plays Lina, a Vilnius morgue medic who becomes fascinated by the mysterious disappearance of a sailor named Vilkas (Wolf).
Director: I. Miškinis; countries: Lithuania, Estonia
21 Nov, Thursday at 21.15 at Coca-Cola Plaza
Baltic premiere with the filmmakers
Rimas comes to an age in a provincial market town. He dreams of making the star rugby team, idolises Bruce Lee and Jean-Claude Van Damme for their martial arts skills, and embarks on a romantic quest to find his perfect match. The film skilfully recreates the atmosphere of 1990s youth by mixing archive footage of concerts and street scenes with newly filmed shots.
Director: L. Linde; countries: Latvia, Lithuania
21 Nov, Thursday at 18.45 at Coca-Cola Plaza
Baltic premiere with the filmmamkers
A self-help film cocktail of 1/4 Riga Black Balsam and 3/4 champagne, with a dash of dark humour. Strongly influenced by Lars von Trier and his film “Epidemic”, Marta feels that her life is pretty shitty. This witty, amusing and sexualised satire explores the delusions and turmoil behind the scenes of filmmaking, leading to naughty, embarrassing and poetically orgasmic illusions.
Director: J.-W. van Ewijk; countries: The Netherlands, Switzerland, Slovenia
21 Nov, Thursday at 21.45 at Coca-Cola Plaza
The masculine confrontation between father and son set against the stunning beauty of the Swiss Alps. In the wake of his mother’s death, Rein moves from the Netherlands to a ski town in the Swiss Alps, where he teaching snowbording and is immersed in nature - at least until his father unexpectedly comes to visit him. The get-together of two men gradually escalates into a power struggle.
Director: A. M. Fleming; country: Canada
21 Nov, Thursday at 21.30 at Coca-Cola Plaza
International premiere with the filmmakers
Not too distant in the future where humanity has solved its greatest crises, there remains one unsettling rule: to preserve the planet, every person must end their life at 50. The film draws the viewer into a contemplative journey about life, death, and humanity’s willingness to sacrifice time itself for a sustainable future.
Director: Jon Bass; country: USA
21 Nov, Thursday at 19.30 at Coca-Cola Plaza
This debut feature from actor Jon Bass feels like a shot in the arm, a breakneck gambit that could really only exist in our current reality. Originally conceived for TikTok, “Carole & Grey” straddles the line between the warmly familiar and bracingly imaginative. It has few fucks to give, and it’s giving them anyway. It’s vivacious, meta and gloriously ditzy.