For his role in the film, Điugas Grinys has already won the “European Shooting Stars” award, which is dedicated to rising European film stars. Now it has been announced that at the Tallinn “Black Nights” film festival, another star of the film – actor Robertas Petraitis – has been chosen among the eight best young, rising European actors and will be presented with the “Black Nights Stars Discovery Campus ICDA” award.
The world premiere is in Germany
The world premiere of “Pietinia kronikas” (the film will travel to foreign cinema screens under the name “The Southern Chronicles”) will take place on November 6 and 7 at the Cottbus International Film Festival. The tape is included in the main competition program.
“It is both a regional and a universal story, conveying the flavor of coming of age and a specific way of rebelling. Here, it depicts how society is transforming, and the viewer is drawn into the experience, emotional reliefs and boundaries of the 90s”, – describe the film by the organizers of the festival program.
After this premiere, the film will travel to “Litauisches Kino Goes Berlin”, a Lithuanian film festival in Berlin, which has been held for 14 years. Pietinia Kronikos will open the festival on November 8. Then he will participate in the “Young audience competition” program of the international festival “Nordic filmdays Lubeck”. The festival has been held for the 66th time and is one of the oldest festivals in Europe showing cinema from Central and Eastern European countries.
E. Pukšta: I have no doubt that the film will be correctly understood abroad
On November 20, the film will be screened at the Tallinn “Black Nights” film festival in the Baltic competition program. The Tallinn festival has a class A category, which means that it is placed in the same row as the Cannes, Berlin, Venice, San Sebastian, Locarno festivals.
Here, as mentioned, the film’s actor Robertas Petraitis was chosen among the eight best young, rising European actors and will be presented with the “Black Nights Stars Discovery Campus ICDA” award.
“As soon as I heard about the intention to make a film based on Rimantas Kmita’s novel, I began to think and doubt how much international relevance Pietinia kronikos will have. After all, even today there are problems explaining to many foreigners where Lithuania is. If we were to try to entangle Šiauliai or Pietinia district, it would be an insurmountable task”, Edvinas Pukšta, one of the organizers of the Tallinn Film Festival program, shared his thoughts.
However, he soon adds that all his doubts were dispelled immediately after attending an advance screening of the film.
“At that time, “Pietinia kronikos” was still 2.5 hours long, and at least it didn’t take long for me. In Igno’s film, I simply recognized myself as a teenager, although I have never been to Šiauliai in such a normal way. I grew up with the same music, the same actors, went to the same concerts, had similar adventures. Only without the Siauliai dialect. Therefore, I no longer doubted the international relevance of “Southern Chronicles”. I felt that this film by Igna Miškinis will be correctly understood, loved and embraced”, says E. Pukšta.
The highly anticipated film “Pietinia kronikas” was directed by “Sidabrinės gervės” winner Ignas Miškinis, who is well known from such films as “Diringas” and “Lengvai ir saldliai”. The main character Rimantas is played by Džiugas Grinys, together with Roberta Petraitis, Digná Kulionytė, Vaidilė Juozaitytė, Irena Sikorskytė, Dainiai Gavenonis, Rasa Samuolytė, Vaidotas Martinaitis, Julii Žalakevičius and others.
The comedy “Pietinia kronikas”, as if transported directly to the 90s by a time machine, begins its journey on the cinema screens. The premiere of the film in Lithuania is in 2025. on January 24. The production of the film was partly financed by the Lithuanian Cinema Center and LRT, production and distribution by Inscript, Nafta Films and ACME Film.
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### Interview with Edvinas Pukšta, Organizer of the Tallinn “Black Nights” Film Festival Program
**Editor:** Thank you for joining us, Edvinas. Exciting times for the Lithuanian film “Pietinia kronikas,” especially with its world premiere coming up!
**Edvinas Pukšta:** Absolutely, it’s a thrilling moment for all involved with the film. The world premiere at the Cottbus International Film Festival marks a significant milestone. We’re really looking forward to seeing how audiences respond to it.
**Editor:** Speaking of audience response, the film has already garnered attention with the awards won by its cast members, such as Điugas Grinys and now Robertas Petraitis. How important are these accolades for the film’s visibility?
**Edvinas Pukšta:** Recognition like the “European Shooting Stars” award and the upcoming “Black Nights Stars Discovery Campus ICDA” award for Robertas brings not just visibility but also a level of credibility to the film. It helps frame “Pietinia kronikas” as a serious contender on the European stage, which is crucial for a film representing a smaller market.
**Editor:** You mentioned concerns about how well the film would resonate internationally. Can you elaborate on those initial doubts?
**Edvinas Pukšta:** When I first heard about the film being based on a novel set in a specific local context, I was skeptical. Lithuania is not always on the cultural radar for many people. I wondered how easily the themes and settings would translate to an international audience.
**Editor:** And those doubts were put to rest after an early screening?
**Edvinas Pukšta:** Yes! After watching the film, I realized it resonates beyond the geographic boundaries. It taps into universal themes of adolescence, rebellion, and the socio-cultural changes of the 90s, which are experiences many can relate to, regardless of their background. I recognized my own teenage years through the film, and that’s really what great storytelling accomplishes.
**Editor:** That’s encouraging to hear! What else can audiences expect as “Pietinia kronikas” moves through the festival circuit after its premiere?
**Edvinas Pukšta:** Following Cottbus, it will be featured in “Litauisches Kino Goes Berlin,” where it will open the festival. It’s also going to be part of the “Young Audience Competition” at the Nordic Film Days Lübeck. I’m optimistic that audiences will embrace its authenticity and emotional depth.
**Editor:** Thank you for your insights, Edvinas. The film seems poised for success!
**Edvinas Pukšta:** Thank you! We’re excited about its journey and can’t wait to see how it moves audiences worldwide.
