Reflections of Time: Baltic Poetic Documentary 2018 / Senis ir žemė / Lithuania 1965
The Old Man and the Land is considered one of the iconic early features of Lithuanian poetic documentary cinema. Documentaries and newsreels of the time were expected to show country folk rejoicing in their improving Soviet existence. The hero of Verba’s film is different. Verba created a unique profile of a genuine man from an old Lithuanian (as opposed to Soviet) village.
The Old Man and the Land by Robertas Verba is considered one of the iconic early features of Lithuanian poetic documentary cinema. Documentaries and newsreels of the time were expected to show country folk rejoicing in their improving Soviet existence and in the new achievements in collective farming, their experiences usually conveyed by voiceover narration. The hero of Verba’s film, a white-mustached old man, is different. By allowing his subject to speak for himself, to narrate his own life story, including its woes, and to talk about his children and the love he feels for his wife, Verba created a unique profile of a genuine man from an old Lithuanian (as opposed to Soviet) village.
Elena Jasiūnaitė
20 min / Black & white, DCP
Director Robertas Verba
/ Screenplay Grigorijus Kanovičius, Vytautas Rimkevičius, Robertas Verba
/ Dir. of Photography Vladimiras Kostiugovas, Robertas Verba
/ Music Algimantas Apanavičius
/ Editor Vytenis Imbrasas
/ Production Lithuanian Film Studio
/ Sales Lithuanian Film Centre
Robertas Verba (1932–1994). Selected filmography: The Old Man and the Land (Senis ir Žemė, 1965), Vincas Svirskis (1967), Čiūtyta rūta (1968), The Dreams of the Centenarians (Šimtamečių godos, 1969), To the Feast (Šventėn, 1970), Love Bloomed on Sunday (Meilė pražydo sekmadienį, 1976), Wings of Lituanica (Lituanikos sparnai, 1983)
Lithuanian Film Centre
Zigmanto Sierakausko st. 15, 03105, Vilnius
Lithuania
Phone: +370 5 213 0547
E-mail: [email protected]
Dovilė Butnoriūtė
Film Institution Rep., PR & Marketing
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