Jūratė Samulionytė

„Every city has his own Shanghai!“ „Shanghai Banzai“– it‘s an ironic short documentary about an old and poor district nearby Vilnius city centre called Snipiskes, which is also known as Shanghai. Film exposes a paradoxical situation where countryside with its multicultural (Lithuanians, Russians, Polish, Gypsies) community exists in the very centre of Vilnius. Also film tries to find out the origin of district’s nickname Shanghai. Film portraits inhabitants of Vilnius Shanghai, who have their own rules, loves, habits and sins. Most of them live in their Past still remembering their youth. Now modern skyscrapers exchange old wooden houses and nobody knows what is waiting for “characters” of Shanghai.

Director Jonas Vaitkus speaks boldly, openly and politely in front of the cameras. This is how he talks about his long career. It dares to expose itself, without missing the creator's suffering, nor the endless doubts, nor the indescribable joy of success. Fights with actors and Shakespeare remained side by side in the memory of the 70-year-old Maestro. This is his story. From the first premiere to the last performance.

Waiting that makes you grow up. Saule (15) and Liucija (6) are two sisters living alone, waiting for their parents who have temporarily gone to London in search of work. The biggest responsibility falls on older Saule's shoulders - she must take care of Liucija, look after home while dealing with the usual issues of a teenager's life. With so much on her plate and the huge stress Saule is unable to fit in with her peers. The girls do their best to live on their own and struggle with reality but sometimes being a grown-up is just too hard.

Henrikas is a middle aged office worker. His job is an endless routine, repeatable actions, mechanical rhythm. He is loner, living in his own secret and colorful things' world. Things want to help their owner. They lead Henrikas to the strange, white, long ribbon, which goes through different streets, yards and spaces. It brings Henrikas to the joy, freedom of mind and satisfaction to be himself. Noroutine.

Author driven documentary "What we leave behind" (original "Liebe Oma, Guten Tag!") is made from a need to talk in unspoken topics, look for answers and hopefully break taboos. It is a film, where two sisters from Lithuania - a filmmaker and a photographer - take a journey through their German grandmother's past. During the research authors encounter her love story, fleeing, uncomfort of being German in Soviet Lithuania and chain of suicides in their family. It's time to talk. About everything. Long journey, which leads in two directions - towards other person and yourself.