As the sun sets over the Croisette and the Palais des Festivals flickers to life, the 79th Cannes Film Festival has officially opened its doors to the global cinematic elite. While the red carpet is traditionally dominated by Hollywood heavyweights and French icons, this year marks a historic shift for the Baltic region. Lithuania has arrived in force, securing three prestigious world premieres that signal the country’s growing influence in international co-productions and its emergence as a hub for bold, auteur-driven storytelling.
The presence of Lithuanian talent across three distinct programs is unprecedented. From the high-stakes competition of ‘Un Certain Regard’ to the discovery-focused ‘Critics’ Week,’ the selection reflects a national film industry that has successfully transitioned from local niche to global competitor.
The Legend of Uljana: A Baltic Basketball Odyssey
One of the most anticipated entries in the ‘Un Certain Regard’ program—a category reserved for films with unique, innovative cinematic language—is Ulja. A collaborative effort between Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, and Poland, the film is directed by Viesturs Kairišs and dives into the extraordinary life of Uljana Semionova.
For those outside the sporting world, Semionova remains a figure of mythic proportions: a 2.13-metre-tall basketball legend who dominated the international courts in the 1960s and 70s. The film, however, is less a traditional biopic and more a character study of a teenager in 1964 Latvia. Faced with her unusual height, she is forced to choose between retreating from a world that stares or embracing her physical uniqueness to reach the pinnacle of sport. With Lithuanian producer Ieva Norvilienė and actor Aleksas Kazanavičius involved, the film explores universal themes of identity and the courage required to stand out in a society that demands conformity.
Cinematic Witness: The Ukrainian Connection
The geopolitical weight of the festival is felt in the ‘Special Screenings’ program with the debut of Pavasaris (Spring). Directed by Rostislav Kirpičenko, a Ukrainian filmmaker born in Lithuania, the film is a harrowing co-production involving France and Estonia. It brings the reality of the war in Ukraine to the screen with a narrative focused on moral resistance.
Kęstutis Cicėnas stars as Father Andrij, a priest in a Russian-occupied town in southeastern Ukraine. His grim task is to guard the bodies of civilians before they are moved to mass graves. At immense personal risk, he secretly returns these bodies to their families for proper burial. As winter freezes the ground, the logistical and existential threats to his mission intensify. The film features a strong Lithuanian ensemble, including Valentin Novopolskij and Šarūnas Datenis, and serves as a stark reminder of the role cinema plays in documenting contemporary history.
A New Generation of Talent
Lithuania’s success at Cannes is not limited to established co-productions. In the ‘La Semaine de la Critique’ (Critics’ Week), Arnas Balčiūnas’s short film Klasės nuotrauka (Class Photo) has been selected from a staggering 2,400 applications. One of only ten films to make the cut, this master’s thesis project from the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre follows a young man named Ignas who returns to an abandoned school.
The film’s inclusion in such a competitive parallel program highlights the strength of the country’s film education and the promise of its youngest creators. It is a story of memory and the attempt to capture fleeting moments of the past before they vanish entirely.
Why the Baltics are Trending
Beyond the screenings, the ‘Marché du Film’—the festival’s industry heart—is hosting a dedicated Lithuanian stand. The buzz among industry professionals suggests that international partners are increasingly looking toward the Baltic States for partnerships. This is driven by the ‘Baltic Shorts’ initiative and a reputation for high-quality production standards and unique creative voices.
Producer Marija Razgutė has also been invited as an expert for the ‘impACT lab,’ a program designed to mentor emerging producers in creating socially meaningful cinema. As the festival continues until May 23, the Lithuanian presence in Cannes is more than just a series of screenings; it is a declaration of the country’s intent to remain a permanent fixture on the world’s most prestigious cinematic stage.
Source: BNS
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