02/01/2018 - Lithuanian theatre luminary is adapting the ancient Greek tragedy for his debut feature film

Celebrated Lithuanian theatre director Oskaras Koršunovas will put a modern spin on the well-known tragedy by Sophocles in Antigone. Koršunovas’ take will turn into “a dynamic road film as well as a manifestation of life-and-death situations.” “I have always wanted to be a film director. There was a time when cinema took inspiration from theatre, nowadays, it’s the contrary – theatre is fed with ideas from cinema and plays are written as scripts,” revealed Koršunovas, adding “in this film, I see a mix of drama, action, comedy, and a road movie philosophically painted with the help of visual effects, dynamics, and a sharp edit. I love the script being both concrete in its details and monumental at the same time.”

The synopsis reveals intertwining storylines and motifs. “The first parallel story focuses on the brother’s immigration experience, which starts in 2001. This journey back in time sheds light on the events experience by Lithuanian nationals migrating to the West, such as crime, illegal entry into the UK and Ireland using stolen identities, modern slavery on Irish farms, and the betrayal of Christian beliefs for Halal food in prison. The second sub-story focuses on the deceased Syrian Rifat, whose body is mistakenly repatriated to Lithuania, and his sister Leli. The combination of these storylines allows the audience to glimpse the turmoil of global migration to Europe through the eyes of Lithuanian siblings.”

The project’s producer, Stasys Baltakis from Film Jam Productions, confirmed that they are preparing an application for submission at Lithuanian Film Center, seeking funds for production. The script was completed and written by Nerijus Milerius, while Baltakis revealed that Vanishing Waves [+see also:
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The project's producer confirmed that if funding is secured by summer 2018, the main photography will unspool between September and October 2018, while post-production works may potentially take place between February and March 2019 to get the final cut ready for the festival summer season in 2019. Casting will begin in summer 2018 and the crew will shoot in Lithuania, Ireland and Italy, “although it might happen to be in Greece,” adds Baltakis. No sales agent is yet attached to the project “though a few of them have already shown interest” confirmed the producer.