21/08/2024 - The movie centres on a former ballerina in her mid-eighties once celebrated for her gracefulness on stage and now stuck in a monotonous routine

Actress Jūratė Onaitytė on the set of Sand in Your Hair (© Audriaus Solomino)

After the triumphs of Saule Bliuvaite’s Toxic [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Directors Talks @ European …
interview: Saulė Bliuvaitė
film profile] and Laurynas Bareiša’s Drowning Dry [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Laurynas Bareiša
film profile] at the recent Locarno Film Festival (see the news), another promising new Lithuanian drama is in the works. Last week, Mantas Verbiejus’ sophomore feature, Sand in Your Hair, entered production, Cineuropa has learnt.

Before embarking on this project, Verbiejus helmed shorts, and later staged plays, musicals and rock operas. In 2020, he directed his debut feature, a romcom titled Divorce.

The story, penned by Verbiejus himself in tandem with Gediminas Cibulskis, follows Malvina, a former ballerina in her mid-eighties once celebrated for her gracefulness on stage, but who now languishes in a monotonous routine. After she unexpectedly meets Kipras, a talented painter of her age, he becomes the catalyst for change. Together, they defy society’s expectations about seniors, transcending age and challenging taboos. As they escape from relatives and institutions, they discover that freedom isn’t merely physical; it’s about breaking free from invisible chains. Their journey unfolds as a pas de deux – a dance of resilience, rebellion and redemption. Can love overcome loneliness, and can two ageing hearts rewrite their own ending?

Key crew members include DoP Rytis Kurkulis, production designer Anželika Šulcaitė, costume designer Neringa Keršulytė, make-up artist Milda Gucevičienė and production manager Kristijonas Puipa. The main cast is made up of Jūratė Onaitytė, Juozas Budraitis, Liubomiras Laucevičius, Laima Akstinaitė and Eglė Mikulionytė.

Sand in Your Hair is being staged by Živile Gallego for Lithuanian firm Fralita Films. Its release is slated for 2025.