A Film Directed by Domantas Vildžiūnas Awarded at a Festival in Italy

The 18^th International Film Festival Eserciti e popoli took place in the city of Bracciano, , November 12 – 18. This is the only festival in the world which selects the best documentary films about the military.

25 countries participated in the festival this year, which presented 80 films about the army. Lithuania presented four documentaries: Nine Letters from Afghanistan (director Domantas Vildžiūnas, cinematographer Lukas Kalvaitis, script-writer Ilona Skujaitė) about the mission of Lithuanian soldiers in Ghor Province; Amber Hope 2007 (directed by D. Vildžiūnas, cinematographer L. Kalvaitis) about international training; It’s a Long Way (director D. Vildžiūnas, cinematographer L. Kalvaitis) and Air Mission (director D. Vildžiūnas, cinematographers L. Kalvaitis and Tadas Dambrauskas). The films were judged by an international commission of experts.

The Lithuanian film Nine Letters from Afghanistan won the first prize in the traditions category. ‘The level of the competition is rising every year; it has been really difficult to choose the winners; the commission had a long discussion. The Lithuanian film stood out among others for its idea, directing and cinematographer’s work’, said a member of the Commission, Shahajahaen Ali Khan from Pakistan.  

Lithuania participated in the festival for the first time in 2004 with a film Vilnius 1812 (director Domantas Vildžiūnas, cinematographers T. Dambrauskas and D. Vildžiūnas) about Napoleon’s army in and won the first prize in the category of historical films.

In the photograph: the makers of the film Nine Letters from : Lukas Kalvaitis, Ilona Skujaitė and Domantas Vildžiūnas with the President of after the premiere. 

Photograph by Alfredas Pliadis.