VDFF x DocNomadsPLUS: Love stories

In February 2026, the LMTA National Film School launched the joint master’s program in documentary film, “DocNomadsPLUS.” The program is run by a consortium of three European universities: Lusófona in Portugal, the LMTA National Film School in Lithuania, and LUCA in Belgium. Open to students from around the world, the two-year program takes place in three different European cities: the first semester in Lisbon, the second in Vilnius, and the third in Brussels. The curriculum combines academic study with hands-on experience in documentary filmmaking.

Four projects created by “DocNomadsPLUS” students during their semester in Vilnius are being presented at the Vilnius Documentary Film Festival. For half a year, Keng U Lao (Macau), Hélène Grezes (France), Astrid Ardagh (Norway), and Enikö Margit Szilágyi (Hungary) spent half a year exploring the connections people form on online platforms, in senior dance classes, while creating a dance performance, or while preparing for the “ComicCon Baltics” pop culture festival.

Thesis advisors: Giedrė Beinoriūtė and Audrius Stonys. Program faculty: Giedrė Beinoriūtė, Elena Kairytė, Narius Kairys, Rūta Kiaupaitė, Rimvydas Leipus, Nerijus Milerius, Audrius Stonys, Saulius Urbanavičius, Dagnė Vildžiūnaitė, Silvija Vilkaitė, and Aistė Žegulytė.

Mano žvirblelis
My Little Sparrow

In a quiet apartment in Vilnius, retired actress Elze falls in love through the glass of her screen with a distant Brazilian dancer who becomes her phantommuse. Through tarot readings, algorithmic signs, and unsent love letters, she transforms his digital echo into a personal, poetic manifesto of love that defies both distance and reality.

Keng U Lao

Valerija
Valerija

Valerija, a demanding dance teacher, lives by the conviction that age is no barrier to an active lifestyle. She consistently rehearses her senior dancers for performances and strives for professional excellence – winning competitions and gaining recognition. Behind her strictness lies a sincere love not only for dance and her profession, but also for the community of women she has brought together. The dancers are observed closely here; their bonds with one another and their preparation rituals are captured, creating an intimate portrait of these women.

Hélène Grezes

Pilkoji zona
Grey Zone

With Lithuania tightening its borders amid growing fears of a Russian invasion, Lithuanian dancer Agnietė Lisičkinaitė and Belarusian dancer Igor Shugaleev set out to create a performance that grapples with questions of collective responsibility. When Igor’s status as a political migrant prevents him from taking part in their upcoming tour, the questions move beyond the stage, forcing Agnietė to confront the limits of her convictions.

Astrid Ardagh

Erdvės tarp mūsų
Spaces Between Selves

In Visaginas, Lithuania’s largest Russian-speaking city, Yula explores her identity through designing clothes and cosplay practices. On the threshold of adulthood, she tries to find her place within “Točka”, a youth community, in a world where a sense of belonging is not always easy to find.

Enikö Margit Szilágyi