
Thismeticulouslyresearched,tenseandtimelyhistoricaldramamarkstheoutstandingactingdebutofthepreviouslyunknownDonatasŽelvys.Theactordevotedanentireyearforthechallengingmajorleadingrole,livingstrictlyincharacter,voluntarilystarvinghimselfandbecomingachainsmoker.HewastheonlycrewmemberwhoremaineduntouchedbyCovid.<br/> Twodirectorsfromdifferentgenerations,GiedriusTamoševičius(long-timeassistanttoSergeyLoznitsaonhisfearturefilms)andVytautasV.Landsbergis(co-writeroftheIDFAwinning“Mr.Landsbergis”),chosethesameintimidatingandsuppressingpost-warperiodasŠarūnasBartasin“IntheDusk”.Anewlyappointedteacher,KostasSkinkys,arrivesataremotevillageschool.Thefamousjournalistanddistinguishedpoetwasdowngradedforillegalpublicationsandforbiddenanti-Sovietverses.Suspiciouslocalsstillprefertotesthisloyalties,whilechildrenwillinglyrecitehisversesfrom“ToMySovietMotherland”,writtenunderpressuretopraiseUncleLenininordertosavehisparentsfromdeportation.<br/> TheintrovertedKostasrecognisesaformerschoolmateandlibrarianJulija.Shedoesn’trushtotrustherunforgottendarling,buteventuallyshowshimasecretwinterypathtotheDainavaresistanceplatoon’sundergroundbunker.PartisanleaderTaurasdemandsthatthepoetpublishmorehope-filledversesinsupportofthedrainedpeople.Duringthosefrightfulyearsofdoubts,instructionsandrequests,everyonewasforcedtomakechoicesinonewayoranother–adapt,resist,obey,sellyourselfout,collaborate,betray,acceptopportunities,orgiveup.Yourlifedependedonwhatyouthoughtandwhatyousaidevenwhenyouweren’tawarethatyouwerealsolyingtoyourself.<br/> Themajorityoftheeventsarebasedontruetestimonies,publishedfactsandpreciousmemories,collectedfromhelpfulrelativesandrescuednotes.Theprotagonistsarefictional,butcreatedonthebasisoftherealbiographiesofseveralprototypes.KostasSkinkysiscreatedfromthelivesoftwoLithuanianpoets,KostasKubilinskasandKazysSkinkys.Whatyouwillwitnessheremayhavehappenedinreality,soauthenticallyanddaringlyrecreatedinthefilm.


