One of the biggest and most important projects presenting Lithuanian cinema to Europe will open the series of events in France dedicated to the centenary of the restoration of the state of Lithuania. Three years of negotiations were finalised this week with an agreement between the Lithuanian Film Centre, the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in France, and the Paris-based Cinémathèque Française, one of the largest cinematheques in the world. The film programme will begin in January next year and will run for almost a month.
The retrospective of Lithuanian films that were selected by Caroline Maleville, the Programmer at the Cinémathèque Française, will consist of over 30 works. According to the famous French film critic Arnaud Hée, the programme would be exciting, diverse and worth discovering. It will highlight the films of acclaimed Lithuanian filmmakers Jonas Mekas and Šarūnas Bartas. The viewers will also have an opportunity to watch selected documentaries from 1990 to present, the latest shorts, animation films, Lithuanian classics, and feature films created during the years of the country’s independence.
“The presentation of the film programme to the French film society is a huge achievement and acknowledgement of Lithuania,” said Rolandas Kvietkauskas, director of the Lithuanian Film Centre. “The work with the programmers of the cinematheque enabled us to take a look at the national cinematography from a different angle. The retrospective spans several generations of filmmakers as well as a range of genres and styles. We are very happy to make such contribution to the year dedicated to the centenary of Lithuania.”
“I am certain that this collaboration between the Lithuanian Film Centre and the French cinematheque will grow into a long-term relationship and will open channels for most of the Lithuanian filmmakers to present their works to this globally recognised cultural institution,” said Vida Gražienė, the Cultural Attaché of the Republic of Lithuania in France, who has spearheaded the project. “The most important thing is that it’s the cinema that will open the series of events dedicated to the centenary of Lithuania bridging all art disciplines. The events will highlight the achievements of Lithuanian artists to the French cultural society, while Lithuania will be first of all introduced as a country fostering exceptional art traditions, creativity, and dynamic cultural life.”
The retrospective of Lithuanian cinema will be launched in Paris on 15 January 2018. The programme is organised by the Lithuanian Film Centre in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in France.
In one of the pictures: Meeting with the representatives of the French cinematheque. From the left: Vida Gražienė, Cultural Attaché of the Republic of Lithuania in France; Jean-Francois Rauger, Programming Director at the Cinémathèque Française; Caroline Maleville, Programmer at the Cinémathèque Française; and Dovilė Butnoriūtė, Head of Department of Film Promotion, Information and Heritage at the Lithuanian Film Centre.
