25/04/2006

You Am I by talented young Lithuanian director Kristijonas Vildžiūnas has already made history at home before hitting the screens at Cannes for its world premiere at Un Certain Regard.

"This is the first time in a decade that a film is a success with both the critics and audiences", the film’s producer Uljana Kim told Cineuropa. Released on March 9, the film has been seen by several thousand Lithuanians, a good number considering the small size of the local theatrical market, where approximately 1.5m people go the movies each year.

Why is it such a success? “Because a lot of people here are tired of US films and are anxious to see a local film, something of a rarity as only two feature films are made in Lithuania each year. Plus, the film is set nowadays, another rarity in Lithuanian cinema”, continues Kim.

You Am I is the story of an architect who quits his joyless job and loveless relationships to start a new life. He decides to build a home in a gloomy forest and to live there alone. Although he fulfils his dream, something is still missing. He comes out of isolation to find out what is at the very core of his heart and soul.

Well-known theatre actor Andrius Bialobžeskis makes his debut on the big screen under the guidance of rock musician turned director Kristijonas Vildžiūnas, who made a name for himself with The Lease [+see also:
trailer
film profile], shown in competition in Venice’s Upstream section in 2002. This is the director’s third collaboration with producer Kim, who was already at Cannes in 1999 with the French-co-production Courtyard by Valdas Navasaitis, shown at the Directors Fortnight.

"Made for almost €600,000, You Am I is the first Baltic film co-produced with established German outfit Pandora Film", stresses Kim with pride. “We have little money to make films here (€1.6m a year) so co-productions are vital”. At press time, the producer was still negotiating with a sales agent for the film’s international distribution rights.