Title of film : Akiplesa
Director Name : Saule Bliuvaite
Cast & crew :
Producer : Giedre Burokaite
Editor : Igne Narbutaite
Cast :
Synopsis : Thirteen-year-old Marija is sent to live with her grandmother in a bleak industrial town, where she faces bullying at school due to her slight limp. Kristina, a more privileged girl from a fractured family, targets Marija, even stealing her designer jeans. However, after a fight, they unexpectedly become friends. The girls start spending time with older boys who introduce them to alcohol and drugs, and Kristina persuades Marija to apply to a modeling school. As they pursue their dreams, Marija tries to conceal her limp on the catwalk, while Kristina resorts to extreme measures to lose weight. Marija ultimately resists returning home when her mother reappears.
Director Bio : Saule Bliuvaite, born in 1994, is a Lithuanian film director and screenwriter known for her compelling storytelling. She studied film directing at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (LMTA), where she produced four short films that gained recognition at various festivals before her graduation in 2018. Bliuvaite co-authored and edited the historical film Isaac (2019), which earned a European Film Award nomination and contributed to Lithuania’s Oscar submission in 2022. Her acclaimed 15-minute documentary Limousine (2021) won awards at the GoEast and Warsaw Film Festivals. Her feature film debut Toxic (2024), a drama about two girls seeking escape through modeling, won the prestigious Golden Leopard at the 77th Locarno Film Festival.
Filmography :
