After the oneiric Songs for a Fox [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Džiugas Grinys
interview : Kristijonas Vildziunas
fiche film], about a musician trying to reconnect with his deceased beloved in a dreamland, Kristijonas Vildžiūnas has crafted another eccentric plot that juggles with sci-fi tropes in order to tell a metaphorical story about human relationships. The production is backed once again by Lithuania’s Studio Uljana Kim, which has produced all five of the previous full-length works by the director.

Scripted by Vildžiūnas himself, Dice-ching-o-mat centres on 55-year-old Vilis (played by Dainius Gavenonis), an Asian Studies scholar, who is trapped in the Cube, a mysterious, elevator-like structure. After hitting his head, he loses his memory, and must find his way out through red and green doors. The red doors lead him to a frozen Vilnius during the 2020 pandemic, where he encounters his wife and children, whom he doesn't recognise. His family seems unfazed, having long been estranged from him owing to his academic devotion. As his children face misfortunes, Vilis must re-enter the Cube each time to continue his quest. With only three attempts, he uses his knowledge of the I Ching to manipulate the Cube's mechanism, but he eventually realises that forming an emotional connection with his children is the key to finding the green doors.

“2020 was a year that shook the world to its core, shattering the illusion of stability,” elaborates Vildžiūnas in his director’s statement. “The swift unfolding of global events forced people to search for answers to life’s profound questions. The story of Dice-ching-o-mat centres on such an identity crisis – the protagonist’s realisation that his academic preoccupation has overshadowed his relationship with his family. The overturned Cube at the start of the film is a cinematic image of that abrupt change in self-perception. Accompanied by a cast of archetypal characters, the Cube becomes a reflection of Vilis’s psyche, serving as a platform for his internal dialogue, while emanating an inhospitable ambiance, reminiscent of a timeworn Soviet elevator, hinting at the character’s childhood.”

This is Vildžiūnas’s third film in which he employs practical and visual effects as well as animation: “We set up two Cube interiors on the soundstage – one for the flips and turns, using the centrifuge principle from Buster Keaton’s The Boat and Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, and the second for vibrating or swinging on different rigs,” he explains. Textures and lighting were adjusted to seamlessly complement the visual effects and animation – a method perfected in his previous film, Songs for a Fox.

For producer Uljana Kim, Dice-Ching-O-Mat presents a unique narrative that tackles a universally recognisable issue and ultimately conveys an emotionally impactful story of the protagonist’s odyssey towards self-acceptance through a rediscovered love for family. “The theme of human reconciliation with oneself and liberation from mental limitations is characteristic of Kristijonas Vildžiūnas’ films, as is the blending of various genre inspirations into a cohesive whole, embracing magical realism.”

Production was divided into three shooting periods and lasted 29 days around the city of Vilnius and at a countryside homestead nearby, on a soundstage, and along the Baltic Sea coast on the Curonian Spit, while the cinematography was entrusted to DoP Jurgis Kmins. Besides Studio Uljana Kim, the film is being co-produced by Latvia’s Studio Locomotive and Estonia’s Filmivabrik, with Paul Thiltges Distributions intending to join as the fourth co-producer. The estimated budget is €1.5 million, with financing support secured from the Lithuanian Film Centre, Lithuanian National Radio & Television, the National Film Centre of Latvia, the Estonian Film Institute and the Estonian Cultural Endowment.