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Ten Minutes Before the Flight of Icarus

This film is considered to be a manifesto of the post-Soviet generation of Lithuanian filmmakers who rejected the straightforward declarative approach and immersed themselves into the silent observation of reality. Film director Arūnas Matelis traces the beginnings of post-Soviet transformation: but rather than heading straight to the main squares of Vilnius, he observes it in the daily life of the inhabitants of Užupis – a historical quarter of the old town of Vilnius. One of the heroes of the film is a tiny fellow with an ear-flap cap. Feeling like home, he hangs around Užupis; his parole is the mosaic of Lithuanian, Russian, Polish and Yiddish words. This queer character is like a walking spirit of Užupis – scanty yet free.

Awards

Oberhausen Film Festival (1991) – Grand Prix
TV and Film Festival in Bornholm, Denmark (1991) – Award
Pärnu International Documentary and Anthropological Film Festival, Estonia (1991) – Special Prize

Arūnas Matelis

Arūnas Matelis was born in 1961 in Kaunas. In 1979–1983 he studied at Vilnius University, the Faculty of Mathematics. In 1989 graduated from Lithuanian State Conservatoire (present Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre), Theatre and TV Faculty. In 1992 Matelis established one of the first independent film production companies in Lithuania “Nominum”. Films directed and produced by Matelis are basically focusing on creative documentary, based on Matelis‘ idea-manifest of “total cinema or poetic documentary”. Films directed by Matelis were screened and awarded in many film festivals around the world, e.g. Cannes, Rotterdam, Torino, San Paulo, Oberhausen and others. Since 1994 Matelis is a delegated member (from Lithuanian Filmmakers union) of Lithuanian Radio and TV Commission.

Selected Filmography

Before Flying Back to the Earth / Prieš parskrendant į Žemę (2005)
Sunday. The Gospel According to a Lift-man Albertas / Sekmadienis. Evangelija pagal liftininką Albertą (2003)
The Diary of Forced Emigration / Priverstinės emigracijos dienoraštis (1999)
The First Farewell to Paradise / Pirmasis atsisveikinimas su rojumi (1998)
From Unfinished Tales of Jerusalem / Iš dar nebaigtų Jeruzalės pasakų (1996)
Self-portrait / Autoportretas (1993)
Giants of Pelesa / Pelesos milžinai (1989) 

Information

Director and Scriptwriter: Arūnas Matelis
Cinematographer: Rimvydas Leipus
Music: Faustas Latėnas
Sound: Vidmantas Kazlauskas
Film Editing: Danutė Cicėnaitė
Production: Lithuanian Film Studio, Studio Nominum
1990, 10 min.