The 7th Annual New York Baltic Film Festival (NYBFF) presented by Scandinavia House: The Nordic Center in America returns this November with the best new films from the Baltic region! On November 9, see the gritty coming-of-age drama Toxic /Akiplėša (dir. Saulė Bliuvaitė, Lithuania, 2024). Dreaming of an escape from the bleakness of their rural Lithuanian hometown, two teens form a unique bond at a local modeling school, where the promise of a better life pushes girls to violate their bodies in increasingly extreme ways. This unapologetically brave debut feature examines the challenges of growing up in an environment where violence, even when hidden, seems to infiltrate every aspect of life. Toxic was awarded the Swatch First Feature Award for Best Debut Film and received the Ecumenical Jury Prize at the Locarno International Film Festival. *The screening will be followed by a film talk with director Saulė Bliuvaitė.*
“An impressively tough-minded debut feature with glimmers of tenderness and humor” (Guy Lodge, Variety)
“Gritty and keenly observed, the film benefits from a pair of excellent performances from the young, first-time leads” (Amber Wilkinson, Screendaily)
“Mesmerisingly cinematic” (Mariana Hristova, Cineuropa)
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Born in 1994, film director and screenwriter Saulė Bliuvaitė graduated from the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre’s Film Directing program in 2018. Her short film Limousine (2021) received the Best Short Documentary award at the Warsaw Film Festival. Saule is the co-writer and co-editor of the historical drama Isaac, nominated for a FIPRESCI prize at the 2020 European Film Awards. Toxic is her debut feature film.
