Too long to wait for Kaunas International Film Festival?
Redux: Independent American Film Cycle is what you should look for in cinemas!

In June Kaunas International Film Festival presents a film programme called “Redux: Independent American Film Cycle“ in Kaunas and Vilnius. The program will be screened on June 3-5 in Kaunas, Forum Cinemas and on June 5-7 in Vilnius, Skalvija film center and Forum Cinemas. We asked Kaunas film festival programme producer Tomas Tengmark a couple of questions.

Why do you do present Redux: Independent American Film Cycle?

In Lithuania, the films on the regular repertoire that are produced in USA are mostly films from the Hollywood studio system. Film from Hollywood Studio System is one type of genre, but there are many other genres from USA to see. For me the American Independents are very interesting, with different subgenres like for example „Mumblecore“. Mumblecore is primarily characterized by ultra-low budget production (often employing digital video cameras), focus on personal relationships among people in their twenties, improvised scripts, and non-professional actors.

Different towns like New York, San Francisco, Baltimore have a wide film production. Films from these towns are well presented in USA and Canada for example Sundance, Toronto International Film Festival. We can of course not see all of these movies in Lithuania, but there is a space for American Independent movies in Lithuania. It was surprising to realise that Gus van Sant’s film “Milk” with the great actor Sean Penn so far doesn’t have local distribution in Lithuania. Sean Penn won the Academy Award (Oscar) in the category „Best Actor“  for the role of Harvey Milk. So, basically we want Lithuanian audiences to enjoy film art and especially enjoy American Independent film.

Why do you choose June for the festival?

„Redux: Independent American Film Cycle“ is last part of a month of culture called „Opening Windows to a different America“  (“Atverkime langus kitokiai Amerikai”) organised by American Center. Summer time is the peak of the cinema season in USA. Why not try to do it in Lithuania? We take this concept but replace the blockbusters and high-school comedies with American independent films. Film is nice all year round. At the same time there is a nice feeling coming from the sunny summer to a cool and dark cinema to enjoy films. I think it is a perfect time!

What films you are presenting?

Three fantastic films! (Tomas is laughing). I mentioned Gus van Sant’s “Milk” before. Gus van Sant recently made the fantastic film “Paranoid Park” and now he follows up with “Milk” - another film which is something that you can’t miss. “Milk” is a touching film about the civil rights movement in San Francisco. I must say that Sean Penn acting as Harvey Milk is brilliant. It was a good choice of the jury to give him the Academy Award for Best Actor. You should definitely see “Milk”on a big screen in cinema not on DVD, and this might be the only chance to see it in cinema in Lithuania.

There is another film in the film programme that also is about San Francisco called “Medicine for Melancholy”. The film trailer introduces the film with the titles SAN FRANCISO, BOY + GIRL. Indeed the film is a boy (Michah) and a girl (Jo), two Afro-Americans that spend one day together in San Francisco. The visual style is fantastic. The film is shot in black and white with tinted colours. This tinted technique was frequently used in silent movies. Medicine for Melancholy is far from a silent movie, on contrary a very modern and urban story. The film also has a fantastic soundtrack full of songs from indie-pop bands. “Medicine for Melancholy” is Barry Jenkins first feature film and it is an impressive debut film.

The third film is “The Pleasure of Being Robbed” by John Saifde. The film is shot on location in New York streets and the film style gives a reflection to early American Independent Film from New York City. “The Big Apple” is an amazing town that has many stories to tell. “The Pleasure of Being Robbed” is a story about Eléonore. She is a curious, free spirit wandering the rough and crowded streets of New York City. Eléonore is afraid to talk to people, so instead she steals things from them to get a glimpse of their lives and personalities. The director John Saifde has a little cameo role in the film. “The Pleasure of Being Robbed” is a great example of the American Independent subgenre “Mumblecore”.

Is there anything else you would like to add about the programme?

I don’t know what more to say. Maybe I should add that all the films in “Redux: Independent American Film Cycle” have been in major film festivals. “The Pleasure of Being Robbed” was the closing film of the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes and the only American film in this section last year. “Medicine for Melancholy” was in the official selection in Toronto International Film Festival. “Redux: Independent American Film Cycle” is a little nice aperitif for what is coming in Kaunas International Film Festival in October. So enjoy American Independent films in June!

The interview was published in "Miesto IQ"
Interviewer Justina Augustytė