Peers with « Film Spring »: Life cinema years

– Conrades, you came to the Spring of Cinema as a volunteer. What brought you to the Film Festival?

– My first meeting with « Film Spring » took place in 2012, when my girlfriend Vaiva, who is currently the festival volunteer coordinator, invited me to the movie Spring movie. At that time I was still a student, I lived in Utena and often came to Vilnius to be harvested;

A few years later I came to the capital to study and wanted to do some additional activities – I was an active young man in Utena, volunteered at various youth organizations and school initiatives. So I was encouraged by Vaiva ten years ago to come to « Cinema Spring ».

Konadas Kazlauskas. A. Solomin Photo by

– Do you remember what your first movie was seen in the Spring of Cinema? What impression did he leave?

-It was the Café de Flore, the director Jean-Marco Vallée, which is still talking about and remembers a significant number of festival viewers. The feeling of this film and wow The impression has survived so far. Although I don't remember the storyline of the film itself, but I know it was so strong that I thought about it for a while. What was most memorable for me at the time and what I watch the movies and now I pay attention is the soundtrack. Café de Flore was really impressive and those songs in my playlists have survived so far. By the way, the main song of the film was the song « Cinema Spring » that year, so it was played against all the movie sessions and she, at the same time, was accompanied by the film throughout the festival.

I am very pleased that this year the opportunity to see the Café de Flore will also have those who have not been able to do so in 2012: Festival founder Vida Ramaškienė, choosing a film that has been most remembered for 30 years, has included the Café de Flore special program.

Café de Flore. Photo by organizers

– When did you realize that cinema will take an important place in your life?

– Actually, I never thought so, and that a certain breakthrough and cinema became an important part of my life, I didn't even feel it. Everything went very naturally, gradually, from the first visit to the festival, the first years of volunteering. Little by little, I started to become interested in cinema, to get involved in the Cinema Spring, to work, and there was always a cinema, which today takes up most of my work and leisure.

– This spring, the Film Spring is celebrating its 30th anniversary. You will be as high in the fall. What does it feel like to be a peer with the biggest film festival in Lithuania?

– First of all, a huge responsibility. The festival will take place for the 30th time and has a very long history, a huge community of loyal spectators that comes to the festival every year. I feel very responsible against her, I want the festival to thrive, grow, delight the audience, and the content will respond to their needs. Thinking about the coincidence that both me and the festival are 30 years old – V. Ramaškienė has been creating a festival for many years and until I came to work, there was everything in crises and ups. It is very important for me to know what happened all those years before I was near the Cinema Spring, because we can learn certain things and get insightful decisions for the future. On the other hand, I am glad that almost three years ago I was entrusted with such a responsibility and that the young person was allowed to join the helm of the festival. In order to stay relevant, modern festival and to present new ideas constantly, it is very important that as many young people work as possible on the team.

« The History of Suleiman ». Photo by organizers

– Often, people at the age of 30 say that this age is different-a certain threshold. How do you experience it? How does the festival survive?

– In fact, for some reason that number means this, although basically it is only age. However, this time is significant for both my personal life and this festival.

Cinema Spring has been experiencing mini transformations for the past three years and I think the 30th anniversary will be greeted as a solid and mature event. I believe that his future will be very bright and beautiful, I hope that the future will be mine too.

« Point Neuf Lovers. » Photo by organizers

– How will Cinema Spring celebrate its anniversary? What would you recommend not to miss?

– We have been preparing for the anniversary festival for several years, so I believe it will be the strongest cinema spring. The biggest highlight of the 30th anniversary is the opening weekend at the Lithuanian National Drama Theater (LNDT), where most sessions will take place. There are seventeen films in the weekend program that I would like to distinguish Leos Caraxo Point Neuf Lovers. It was this film in 1995. Started with « Cinema Spring ». This year, the festival will be opened by two Oscars nominated for Latvian director Gintas Zilbalodis' film « Flood ». The LNDT will include three exclusive cinema shows with live sound: Jean Epstein's « Ashter House Fall », Robert Wiene's « Doctor Kaligaris Cabinet » and Teinosuke's « madness page ». These sessions will take place every day, so I recommend you to discover and choose one or more you will like the most.

The film « Flood ». Photo by organizers

– What films have shaped your taste, worldview, maybe even personality? What are your top list this year?

– I watch a lot of films a year and I take at least a small particle from each of them. My favorite – 2018 In the Spring of the Cinema, he was shown « Call me in your own name », whose director Luca Guadagnin is still following the work of which I try to watch all the films. I am delighted that L. Guadagnin's latest film, Queer, has been involved in the program, where Daniel Craig, the well -known role, plays the lead role. A few more films I have already seen and I can recommend are Boris Loykine's « Suleiman's History », Bernard Wenger's « Peov » – a tragicomedy of the protagonist Matias, who can be anything else but not being himself.

« Peacock ». Photo by organizers

The film I am looking forward to is the « jockey » of Louis Ortega.

« Jockey ». Photo by organizers

– You travel a lot to film festivals abroad. What are you looking for in them? What viewer are you?

– I've been traveling a little less in recent years, only visiting Cannes and San Sebastia, which is so far my favorite film festival after « Film Spring ». There are two main tasks while visiting foreign festivals. The first is to watch movies, understand what is happening in the film industry and what works the creators are creating. The second is to participate in the film industry events, to watch what is happening in the world film industry and not to miss the film's issues.

– If you can get stuck – how are you going to celebrate your anniversary? Will it contain space for cinema?

– available (smiles). I will celebrate my birthday in November and go to Thailand with my friends. I really like Asian cinema and I have a lot of my film favorites from this continent. This time we will go to an island where the third season of the White Lotus series was recently filmed, so there is certainly a connection to the cinema.