“Two premiere screenings in Germany are a great opportunity to present our film to international market distributors, film critics, publicists, television representatives, festival program makers. There will be a question-and-answer session after the film screening. Emotional discussion accompanies this film at all festivals, because on the screen we tell about the collision of different cultures and the Christmas business, the behind-the-scenes of which is completely unknown to many. What’s more, a tragedy occurred while filming, which irreversibly changed the relationships of Kartveli families,” says producer Ringailė Leščinskienė.
Until now, only feature films participated in the Cottbus festival, but this year the documentary program “Ecoeast” appeared. It will show “The Life and Death of the Christmas Tree”, the production and distribution of which was partially supported by the Lithuanian Film Center. This film is also nominated for a Dialog Award for promoting intercultural understanding.
The film itself weaves a social dialogue between the Caucasus and Western Europe. His characters did not have the opportunity to know each other for a long time, because they were separated by an iron curtain. The Danish couple – Lars and Marianna – in 1991, having gathered very little information about Sakartvel, find themselves in this country, experience the generous hospitality of the Kartvels, various anecdotal situations, and also see fir trees. Later, an international business is born from this.
Soft conifers are one of the most sought-after Christmas trees used to decorate homes throughout Europe for the holidays. However, few have heard that every year dozens of tons of their seeds come to Western Europe precisely from Sakartvel. The seasonal process of harvesting pine cones takes place in an incredible way: village men climb 40-meter-high trees. Saving time and energy, they sometimes jump from one peak to another like squirrels. Unfortunately, more than once it ended in death.
“The subject is moving because these are personal stories. Discussions about this film are long. There are also disputes as to whether it is right to cut down Christmas trees. However, first of all, this film is not about “good” or “bad”, but about real life, which we observed for a year and a half”, says A. Yevdokimov.
The world premiere of “The Life and Death of the Christmas Tree” took place at the Tallinn Film Festival “Black Nights” and the national premiere at “Cinema Spring”. He also toured festivals in Latvia, Poland, Sakartvel, Ukraine and Bulgaria. In November, R.Leščinskienė and A.Jevdokimovs are invited to present the film in the East Silver Collection “Docs for Sale” program at the Amsterdam IDFA. Lithuanians will participate there for the first time as members of the Institute of Documentary Film (IDF) delegation.
“The heroes of the film are also traveling with us to the premiere. We see how all this changes their lives. After the Tallinn premiere, people began to recognize Tekla, a Kartveli girl, and congratulated her. It was a beautiful adventure for a young dreamer from the village of Sakartwell. Together with Melano’s mother, in the Baltic States, they saw the sea for the first time, a steam bath, and climbed into the pool for the first time. They react to everything very emotionally: they shout, they take pictures.
They were accommodated in the “Pacai” hotel in Vilnius and experienced impressive luxury, the filmmakers say. – The premieres also had a great impact on the relations between Danes and Kartvelians, because Lars and Marianna were the bosses of the company in their eyes, it seemed that they were as far away as the moon. But when they saw in the film that the Danes themselves were squatting around young trees with hoards, building fences themselves so that the plants wouldn’t be eaten by deer, crawling around the fir trees wearing rubber boots – suddenly they became their own, close to ordinary Kartvelians, everything turned around.”
The heroes of the film will meet again this week in Germany. In addition to the film “The Life and Death of the Christmas Tree” presented by the film production company “Nulinė Kopi”, three more Lithuanian films will be shown at the Cottbus festival: “Akiplääsa” by Saulė Bliuvaitė, “Kapinynas” by Emilija Škarnulytė, and the film “Southern Chronicle” by director Igna Miškinis will also be screened here. ” world premiere.
window.fbAsyncInit = function() {
FB.init({
appId: ‘117218911630016’,
version: ‘v2.10’,
status: true,
cookie: false,
xfbml: true
});
};
(function(d, s, id) {
var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
if (d.getElementById(id)) {
return;
}
js = d.createElement(s);
js.id = id;
js.src = “https://connect.facebook.net/lt_LT/sdk.js”;
fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
}(document, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’));
#Lithuanian #documentary #film #nominated #important #international #festival #Culture
**Interview with Ringailė Leščinskienė – Producer of “Life and Death of a Christmas Tree”**
**Interviewer:** Thank you for joining us, Ringailė. Your film, “Life and Death of a Christmas Tree,” is making waves, especially with its premiere screenings in Germany. What excites you most about these screenings?
**Ringailė Leščinskienė:** Thank you for having me! I’m thrilled about the screenings because they present a unique opportunity for our story to reach an international audience, including distributors, critics, and festival programmers. The Q&A sessions following the screenings often spark emotional discussions, which showcases the cultural collision we portray in the film. It’s rewarding to see how deeply personal and politically charged the film has been received.
**Interviewer:** The film addresses the complexities of the Christmas tree business. Can you explain a bit more about its central themes?
**Ringailė Leščinskienė:** Absolutely. At its core, the film explores the intersection of culture and commerce. It looks into the lives of people in Sakartvel, who harvest seeds for Christmas trees that decorate homes across Europe. With the historical backdrop of the iron curtain separating these cultures, the emotional narrative reveals a lot about human connection, hospitality, and the harsh realities faced by those involved in this seasonal business.
**Interviewer:** I understand there was a tragic incident during filming that impacted the relationships of the Kartveli families featured in the documentary. Can you elaborate on that?
**Ringailė Leščinskienė:** Yes, during the filming, we unfortunately lost a member of the community while harvesting pine cones. This tragedy not only affected those directly linked to the event but also reshaped the dynamics among the families we filmed. It underscored the risks they take in this precarious business and has added layers of gravity to the narrative we present in the film.
**Interviewer:** The film has been nominated for a Dialog Award for promoting intercultural understanding. Why do you think it’s important to encourage this dialogue?
**Ringailė Leščinskienė:** In today’s interconnected world, fostering understanding between different cultures is more important than ever. Our film invites viewers to engage with stories that may not otherwise be heard, helping to bridge the gap between diverse communities. By exploring the lives and traditions of the Kartveli families, we hope to promote empathy and recognition of shared human experiences over mere cultural differences.
**Interviewer:** Looking ahead, what do you expect for “Life and Death of a Christmas Tree” in the festival circuit?
**Ringailė Leščinskienė:** I am optimistic! After our premieres at the Tallinn Film Festival and “Cinema Spring,” there’s been a positive response from audiences, which fuels our ambition as we participate in events like the Amsterdam IDFA. Having our heroes present to share their experiences has already created magical moments of connection, and I believe this film will continue to resonate widely, driving conversations that matter.
**Interviewer:** Thank you for sharing your insights, Ringailė. We’re looking forward to seeing how audiences respond to your film!
**Ringailė Leščinskienė:** Thank you very much! It’s been a pleasure to discuss it.
