Monday, January 7, 2008

Janina Lapinskaite : A new refreshing voice of Lithuanian cinema that deserves to be heard and seen !!!

Stiklo Salis (2004) directed by Janina Lapinskaite.

If there is a person who has stolen all the limelight related to Lithuanian cinema than it is surely Sarunas Bartas. He is very much respected in France and has friends like Claire Denis and Leos Carax. This particular film is a good introduction to Lithuanian cinema which is currently receiving ample funds from various European agencies. The artistic success of Janina Lapinskaite's film has proved beyond doubt that there is more to Lithuanian cinema than Sarunas Bartas.A close look at Stiklo Salis (A land of glass) proves that Janina Lapinskaite is very much a woman's director wherein her sympathy lies in promoting the role played by the lead actress.That is the reason why the principal female character has a very strong personality. This aspect can be appreciated by anyone regardless of whether the viewer is male or female. Jurga Kalvaityte has given a mesmerizing performance of mental agony. As far as two male characters : a husband and a gynecologist are concerned, they are shown as absolute idiots. Another strong point of this film is its location. It is a highly mysterious spot little bit similar to the place where Russian director
Andrei Zvyagintsev shot his allegorical masterpiece "The Return".

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