PRODUCTION / FUNDING Lithuania
Andrius Blaževičius reveals details of his third feature, Divorce During the War
- The drama film, set to be presented at the Berlinale Co-Production Market, stars Marius Repšys and Žygimantė Elena Jakštaitė in the leading roles, and will enter production next year
Andrius Blaževičius’ third effort, a drama titled Divorce During the War, is now in development. The project will soon be presented to potential partners at the upcoming Berlinale Co-Production Market, set to unspool in the German capital from 17-21 February (see the news).
The Vilnius-born helmer debuted with The Saint [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Andrius Blazevicius
film profile] (2016), which premiered at Warsaw and Busan, winning six national film awards and amassing 46,000 admissions nationwide – a remarkable figure for a market of this size. His sophomore feature, Runner [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Andrius Blaževičius
film profile], premiered at Karlovy Vary in 2021 and won the Award for Best Baltic Film at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, snagging two additional national film awards.
The story of Divorce During the War, penned by the director himself, begins in Vilnius in 2022. After 32-year-old Marija's revelation that she wants to divorce her 40-year-old husband, Vytas, Russia invades Ukraine. Forced to confront their crumbling relationship, they navigate the process of divorce as it collides with the ongoing war. Narvydas Naujalis (The Writer [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Runner, Pilgrims [+see also:
film review
interview: Laurynas Bareisa
film profile]) is attached as the project’s DoP.
Speaking about the current state of the project, the production team tells Cineuropa: “Divorce During the War is our third film together with director Andrius Blaževičius. We have finalised the third draft of the script and have confirmed the main cast – Marius Repšys as Vytas, 2021 EFP Shooting Star Žygimantė Jakštaitė [watch the interview] as Marija and Greta Repšytė as their daughter Dovilė, among others. Moreover, the project has already secured development funds from the Lithuanian Film Centre and tax incentives as well as the support of national broadcaster LRT. Principal photography is set to kick off between March and April 2025.”
The picture will be filmed in Lithuanian, Russian and English. Divorce During the War is being staged by Marija Razgutė for Vilnius-based firm M-Films, with Brigita Beniušytė serving as an associate producer. Budgeted at €1.43 million, it has already been pre-sold to LRT.
The release is slated for the first half of 2026.
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