Director Inesa Kurklietytė is preparing for the production of a new Lithuanian feature film for children | Culture

The new film “I will change the world”, written by writer Rebeka Una together with director Inesa Kurklietyte, will focus on the problems experienced by children through the eyes of 11-year-old Luka, who wants to change the imperfect world. The adventures of a lonely child in a big city will become the main axis of the film.

Luka’s desire to change the world is endless, but change is achieved not by capturing or fighting enemies, but by changing oneself. After escaping from an unjust world, she and the other children travel through the dungeons in search of the only friend she trusts – the retriever Bulka. In the tunnels, her imagination takes her to different worlds, where she saves the weak, fights the enemy Sim, makes decisions and changes the order of the world. The best option in the world depends on Luka, where she goes next – her choices.

Photo by Modesto Endriuška/”I will change the world”

“The script of the film is based on the motifs of the popular children’s and teenage writer Rebeka Una’s short stories “I will change the world” and “The God of Garbage”. I was impressed by the author’s open and at the same time very modern communication with children in her books, without hiding from them that the world is not just colored candy, that children also struggle and experience very different emotions. The adventure-filled journey of eleven-year-old Luka, the heroine of the upcoming film, helps her understand herself, see friends in enemies, and love the fact that she was distant and incomprehensible.

In the film, we will try to talk easily with young viewers about serious things, about the bitterness of losses and the joy of discoveries, about how not to be afraid to stand out from the crowd, defend your truth, and find a true friend. We assembled a great film team – cameraman Feliksas Abrukauskas, artist Neringa Baciuskaitė, costume designer Monika Vėbraitė. The film is currently in pre-production. This is a great time to try and create a new cinematic narrative for our young audiences.”

“We are glad that well-known Lithuanian film actors agreed to film alongside the acting children during the film’s creative journey: Juozas Budraitis, Indrė Patkauskaitė, Valentinas Novopolskis. After creating the children’s film “Heart of a Butterfly”, we received a lot of positive feedback that young viewers are very much looking forward to such films. Director Inesa Kurklietyte and I decided to make a new film with new heroes and their experiences. We again looked for inspiration in Lithuanian literature, and the meeting with children’s and youth writer Rebeka Una turned into a beautiful beginning of the film’s journey,” says producer Živilė Gallego.

Photo by Modesto Endriuška/Ž. Gallego, I. Kurklietytė, Juozas Budraitis

In 2022, the children’s film “Butterfly’s Heart (dir. Inesa Kurklietytė, prod. Živilė Gallego)” was created, telling the story of a boy with a disability who experiences bullying, Juozap. The film not only conquered the hearts of Lithuanian children, but also traveled to more than 50 festivals, was richly awarded and appreciated in an international context.