Nova Lituania
{{short description|2019 film}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Nova Lituania
| image = Nova Lituania.jpg
| caption = Film poster
| director = Karolis Kaupinis
| producer = Marija Razgutė
| writer =
| starring = Aleksas Kazanavičius
| cinematography = Simonas Glinskis
| editing =
| studio = M-Films
| distributor =
| released = {{film date|2019|6|30|KVIFF|2020|6|26|Lithuania|df=yes}}
| runtime = 96 minutes
| country = Lithuania
| language = Lithuanian
| budget =
}}
Nova Lituania is a 2019 Lithuanian film directed and written by Karolis Kaupinis. The black-and-white drama film deals with inter-war paranoia, nationalism and the identity crises of the nations occupied by the former USSR. The film was inspired by a real-life Lithuanian interwar political theorist Kazys Pakštas and his works on Dausuva.
It was selected as the Lithuanian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Oscar Academy Awards .{{cite web|url=https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/1278200/lithuania-picks-nova-lituania-for-foreign-language-oscar-nomination |title=Lithuania picks Nova Lituania for foreign-language Oscar nomination |work=LRT |date=17 November 2020 |access-date=17 November 2020}}
Synopsis
During the interwar period, Feliksas Gruodis, a Lithuanian geography professor played by Aleksas Kazanavičius, tries to convince the government to establish a backup state overseas, in order to save their country from ruin. However, the idea is mostly mocked and opposed. Still, there is hope in the secret support from the elderly prime minister, portrayed by Vaidotas Martinaitis. The men debate who they should save – others or themselves?{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/nov/15/nova-lituania-review-karolis-kaupinis-lithuanian-geographer-mubi |title=Nova Lituania review – we've got to get out of here |work=The Guardian |access-date=17 November 2020}}
Cast
- Aleksas Kazanavičius as Feliksas Gruodis
- Vaidotas Martinaitis as Prime Minister Jonas Servus
- Valentinas Masalskis as President Juozapas Palionis
- Rasa Samuolytė as Veronika Gruodis
- Roberta Sirgedaitė as Julyte
- Eglė Gabrėnaitė as Veronika's Mother, Kotryna
- Julius Žalakevičius as General Svegzda
- Vidmantas Fijalkauskas as Dean of the Faculty
- Algirdas Dainavičius as Feliksas' Colleague
- Darius Meškauskas as Simonavicius, Head of the Press Agency
- Paulius Pinigis as Lieutenant Cesnulevicius
- Kiril Glušajev as Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Ridas Jasiulionis as Antanas
- Matas Dirginčius as Student I
- Povilas Jatkevičius as Student II
- Diana Anevičiutė as Post Office Employee
- Indrė Patkauskaitė as Secretary Elena
- Valentinas Krulikovskis as Journalist
- Laima Akstinaitė as Secretary Ona
- Valdas Latonas as Prime Minister Kunigas
- Eglė Mikulionytė as Servus' Wife
- Rusnė Savickaitė as Servus' Daughter
- Kęstutis Stasys Jakštas as Director of the Military School
- Mindaugas Bundza as Government Employee
- Mykolas Drunga as Employee (voice)
Production
Nova Lituania is the first feature film by Karolis Kaupinis and the third collaboration with producer Marija Razgutė (M-films) after the short films The Noisemaker in 2013 and Watchkeeping in 2017.{{Cite web |title=Karolis Kaupinis |url=https://www.legroupeouest.com/les-auteures/karolis-kaupinis/ |access-date=2023-09-13 |website=Le Groupe Ouest |language=fr-FR}}{{Cite web |title=Karolis Kaupinis {{!}} Director, Writer, Actor |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6708988/ |access-date=2023-09-13 |website=IMDb |language=en-US}} The film is inspired by the life of interwar Lithuanian political theorist Kazys Pakštas and his work on Dausuva, the theoretical plan to create an alternative Lithuania to resist a possible invasion scenario.{{Cite web |date=2015-03-05 |title=Kazio Pakšto takais – ieškoti atsarginės Lietuvos |url=https://www.bernardinai.lt/2015-03-06-kazio-paksto-takais-ieskoti-atsargines-lietuvos/ |access-date=2023-09-13 |website=Bernardinai.lt |language=lt}}{{Cite web |title=Filmo "Nova Lituania" režisierius K.Kaupinis: apie tragišką herojų K.Pakštą ir istorijos pamokas šiandienai |url=https://www.15min.lt/kultura/naujiena/kinas/filmo-nova-lituania-rezisierius-k-kaupinis-apie-tragiska-heroju-k-paksta-ir-istorijos-pamokas-siandienai-4-1270632 |access-date=2023-09-13 |website=15min.lt |language=lt}} It has long been derided in Lithuanian culture. A popular post-war Lithuanian film, Adam Wants to be a Man (directed by Vytautas Žalakevičius, 1959/Adomas Nori Būti Žmogumi), parodies him as an atypical castaway from another century.{{Cite web |date=2021-01-16 |title=Setting up a back-up Lithuania. Reimagining future past with Nova Lituania |url=https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/1321070/setting-up-a-back-up-lithuania-reimagining-future-past-with-nova-lituania |access-date=2023-09-13 |website=lrt.lt |language=en}}
Karolis Kaupinis became interested in Kazys Pakštas after seeing the modern play Madagascar by Marius Ivaškevičius, which recounts the life of the theorist. He then decided to treat this Lithuanian historical figure in a post-modern way, mixing fictional elements with historical facts.{{Cite web |last=Gleichgewicht |first=Daniel |date=2021-01-08 |title=Reimagining futures past: on Nova Lituania |url=https://neweasterneurope.eu/2021/01/08/reimagining-futures-past-on-nova-lituania/ |access-date=2023-09-13 |website=New Eastern Europe |language=en-GB}}
Reception
The film was generally very well received by critics. It received a 3.4/5 star rating on the Letterboxd based on 1108 votes from Internet users and 66% positive reviews based on 900 votes on the IMDB.{{Citation |title=Nova Lituania (2019) - External reviews - IMDb |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8514696/externalreviews/ |access-date=2023-09-13 |language=en-US}}{{Citation |title=Nova Lituania (2019) |url=https://letterboxd.com/film/nova-lituania/ |access-date=2023-09-13 |language=en}}
Accolades
{{Anchor|Awards|Accolades}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|8514696|Nova Lituania}}
{{Lithuanian submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nova Lituania}}
Category:Lithuanian drama films
Category:Lithuanian-language films
Category:2010s Lithuanian films
Category:Films set in the 1930s