The New York Baltic Film Festival’s day of documentary screenings continues with Wonderful Losers: A Different World /Nuostabieji lūzeriai: Kita planeta, Lithuania’s official entry to the 91st Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film. In its New York premiere, the film journeys to the world of competitive cycling at the annual Giro d’Italia, following tireless cyclists from various vantage points, including those of the medical cars racing alongside athletes, where iodine and bandages are dispensed at high-speed from windows.
Directed by Arūnas Matelis with an international crew, the documentary pays tribute to all the support teams that make it possible for racers to become champions. (71 min. Lithuania, 2017. In Italian, English, Dutch with English subtitles.)
Director Arūnas Matelis joins us after the screening to present a Q&A on the film.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Arūnas Matelis (b. 1961) studied applied mathematics at Vilnius University and graduated from the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre in 1990. His first documentary film Dešimt minučių prieš Ikaro skrydį (Ten Minutes Before the Flight of Icarus, 1990) was proclaimed by critics as the manifesto of a new generation of young filmmakers. He explored original themes, experimented boldly with aesthetics, and indulged his own voice as an artist. Matelis is among few European film directors who have been honoured by one of the most important US film industry prizes – Directors’ Guild of America (DGA) Achievement Award for his debut full-length documentary Prieš parskrendant į Žemę(Before Flying Back to the Earth, 2005). The film received more than 10 highly prestigious awards, including top prizes at IDFA, DOK Leipzig, European Film Academy nomination and more.
In 2005, Matelis won the Lithuanian National Prize. He is a member of the European Film Academy, chairman of the Lithuanian Filmmakers Union, and a founder of the Lithuanian Film Academy.
2018 New York Baltic Film Festival
The three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have been producing motion pictures since 1910. While not as well-known as those in Scandinavia and other parts of Europe, their industries have met challenges in one era or another that ultimately only galvanized their creative ambitions for features, documentaries, and animation shorts. Through the screening of both the latest productions and selected classics, the inaugural 2018 New York Baltic Film Festival offers an unprecedented opportunity to see the best in northern European film making.
The New York Baltic Film Festival is presented by Scandinavia House and organized by the Consulate General of Estonia, Consulate General of Lithuania and Consulate of Latvia in New York. Programming support is from the Estonian Film Institute, National Film Center of Latvia, and Lithuanian Film Center. Funding for the festival is courtesy of governments of the Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and by the generous donations of members of the Baltic community in New York. Additional support to the festival is from the Lithuanian Cultural Institute, the Consulate General of Finland in New York, and the American Scandinavian Foundation.
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1540063800
SAT—October 20—6:15 PM
$12 ($7 ASF Members)
Series Pass $90 ($55 ASF Members)