Currently studying an MA at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre – after previously gaining a BA in Film Directing from there – Lithuanian director Rinaldas Tomasevicius is now preparing for his latest short film -15 to have its world premiere at the upcoming edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, as part of EFP’s Future Frames.

The film follows Alexei (Marius Repsys, familiar to Karlovy Vary audiences after appearing in such features as 2020’s Runner [+lee también:
crítica
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entrevista: Andrius Blaževičius
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The film is an urgent and raw piece of work, focusing on those on the fringes of society, and how regret and recrimination for past failures and lost time can make for a present that is difficult to live in.

Cineuropa chatted with Tomasevicius to uncover more about his point of view and his fascination with those who do not conform to societal standards.

Cineuropa: You’ve talked on previous occasions about the time when you were homeless. How did that inspire you to examine those who live on the fringes of society, such as the characters in -15?
Rinaldas Tomasevicius: My own experiences encourage me to talk about these people, to show them as being on the good side. I had been living in that world myself for more than half of my life, so it is very close and familiar to me. I still feel like a part of these people. Only I was lucky, and I got out of there thanks to someone from above.

There’s an almost documentary-like feel to the film. Was this sense of realism important to you?
True, the sense of realism in films is very important to me; it creates the feeling that everything is happening here and now. I personally don't like it when someone is lying to me in their film, so I try to show everything as authentically as possible in mine. I didn't intend to create a feeling of sadness explicitly. I generally just wanted to show the emotional state of the character, him being lost in a new world. I volunteer and help prisoners to adapt to the new world myself, and I often see how difficult it is for them to accept the new rules of life after so many years in prison. So I wanted to show this new situation, and apparently, there is a lot of sadness there.

Tell us about the casting of Marius Repsys as Alexei.
Marius starred in my previous short film, so I already knew him. Actually, I didn't have many options when it came to celebrity actors in Lithuania, as the type of character is very important for me. I wanted to see some experience and signs of the criminal world on their faces. Marius has that: moreover, in his youth, he lived in an area where there was a lot of crime. That was important to me. In the movie, he is still immature; he needs to save himself first and is also trying to save his daughter.

Do you have any idea of what your next project will be?
I am currently writing a script for a feature involving similar topics. Also, I am filming a documentary in a jail; it’s about prisoners and their relationships with each other, their families and their relatives.

I’m also having ideas for a slightly ironic short film featuring real homeless people who are sometimes happier than those who are members of “regular society”.