BNS
At the prestigious Sundance Film Festival, which has just concluded in the United States, Andrius Blaževičius won the Best Director Award for his latest film “Skyrybos karo metu” (How to Divorce During the War), the film production company M-Films announced on Friday evening.
The film was selected for the festival from more than 16,000 submissions from around the world and competed in the official competition program against nine other films.
In naming Blaževičius Best Director, the festival jury honored him “for outstanding talent and confident direction in a darkly comic film about life during wartime.”
“It is still hard for me to believe this. Being selected for this festival alone is already a huge recognition and achievement. We saw how strong the films were that we competed against in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition, and we were happy simply to be in such company. To also receive an award is an enormous honor and joy,” said director A. Blaževičius.
“We could hardly have hoped for a better global launch for the film. Lithuanian cinema has once again proven how sharp, mature, and at the same time universal it is. The Sundance award is another significant milestone not only for our film industry but also for Lithuania as a country,” said producer Marija Razgutė.
Founded in 1978 by legendary actor Robert Redford, the Sundance Film Festival, held annually in the United States, is one of the most important film events in the world. The festival is known for its discoveries—Sundance has a reputation for identifying and introducing talents who later shine brightly in the international film industry.
Blaževičius’ film How to Divorce During the War is set in Vilnius in 2022. A high-ranking, ambitious executive named Marija chooses the worst possible moment to initiate an open conversation about divorce with her husband—the day before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Lithuanian audiences will see How to Divorce During the War in cinemas this autumn. The leading roles are played by Marius Repšys and Žygimantė Elena Jakštaitė, winner of the European Shooting Stars award. The cast also includes Amelija Adomaitytė, Indrė Patkauskaitė, Gintarė Parulytė, Larisa Kalpokaitė, and Rimantas Bagdzevičius. The film was financed in Lithuania by the Lithuanian Film Centre, the Vilnius Film Fund, and LRT, and was produced as a co-production with Luxembourg, Ireland, and the Czech Republic.
How to Divorce During the War is Blaževičius’ third feature film. His previous works, The Saint and Runner, won a total of eight Silver Crane Awards in Lithuania.