ALKIS

Aim: In the late hours of a midsummer's night, somewhere simultaneously in the past, present, and future, a journey of love and acceptance begins

Alkis – meaning hunger in Lithuanian – is an experimental short film that focuses on the emotional journey a person goes through when trying to understand what it means to feel alienated from their own cultural heritage and find their path back to it. Alkis shows us various traditional Lithuanian music, dance, and folklore and sees how infusing contemporary queer versions of those art forms can bring a deeper understanding of how queerness and tradition can intersect.

As mythology is not bound to a single point in time, Alkis is set simultaneously in the past, the present, and the future – during the Midsummer’s Night, a mystical time that bonds together the mythical and the human realms, symbolically bringing together the old – tradition, with the new. It is believed that during this time people have to opportunity to find a path through a journey towards knowledge and divine enlightenment. Following this concept, the film is about queer lovers pursuing a journey of discovery and self-acceptance, finding and creating their space in a rough, unwelcoming environment. Four parts of the film – each focusing on different forms and approaches to folklore – intertwine as they follow the emotional journey that a person takes while searching for a connection to their culture and their place as a queer person within it. 

Alkis is an experimental film that aims to claim space for queer identities in one’s cultural heritage, by bringing together the seemingly contrasting concepts of folklore and queerness. It does so by placing queer love stories within a traditional setting, using contemporarily adapted forms of Lithuanian dance and music and symbols commonly found in Lithuanian mythology. The film is about the journey of finding and claiming the space to exist in an environment that has never had room for queer identities. The film focuses on the emotional journey a person goes through while trying to understand what it means to feel alienated from their cultural heritage and find their path back to it. 

The film explores various forms of Lithuanian folklore and blends them with more modern elements creating an experience not bound by a single time. As folklore is passed by word, it can end up being censored by all the generations that came before us. When it comes to Lithuanian folklore, it is very hetero-centred, but who knows if it always used to be that way? Through a series of vignettes, dance, and various symbols, the film will introduce the audience to different forms of Lithuanian folklore and explore an alternative version of it that is more open and accepting of LGBTQ+ identities.

The tone of the film is inspired by the mystical time of the midsummer night. A night free of time and human laws of existence. A night blending the past, present, and future. To understand the blend of traditional and contemporary in the sound of the film, you can check out our Spotify playlist, which combines songs and styles that influenced the soundscape of the film.

The visuals of the film will complement the mystical, slightly eerie atmosphere. There will be a stark contrast between the look of the forest – a dark, harsh, almost threatening environment – and the apple tree and rue garden – a blossoming heaven-like, safe space for queer lovers illuminated by the glowing moonlight. This is to emphasise the feelings of alienation that queer people often experience when trying to connect with their culture. In terms of cinematography, the camera movement will be fluid to match the flow and pace of the dance, and the colour palette will consist mostly of tones of blue and green, as the action is set during the blue hour.

Through the film, the audience will be able to explore the emotional journey of finding and claiming the space to exist in an environment that has never had space for marginalised identities. For some, the film might remind them of their connection to their culture and/or their queerness. For others, it could act as a glimpse into the lives of people who feel a certain level of disconnection from their environment due to the social erasure of their identity. A personal struggle that most people might not be aware of. By highlighting the lack of inclusion of LGBTQ+ identities within Lithuanian folklore and establishing how patriarchal and heteronormative standards of love play into queer suppression hopefully the audience can understand or relate to what it feels like to be left out of a culture that does not respect their identity. While the traditional art forms used in this film come from Lithuanian folklore, the understanding and experience of this film are not limited to Lithuanian people. We hope to create a safe space for those who may relate to the themes of the film, create awareness for those who might not, and overall create a visual experience that allows the viewer to walk along the journey of the search for one’s place, accompanied by the various art forms from Lithuanian folklore.

Director

ŪLA RUBAŽEVIČIŪTĖ

The idea for Alkis comes from my own experience with my culture and identity. Growing up in Lithuania, I was surrounded by various forms of folklore, from fairytales and myths to dance and music. Later on in life, as I was figuring out my identity, I started feeling more alienated from the culture and anything remotely Lithuanian as I did not feel like I belonged there. The folklore that I grew up with was very hetero-centred, and those parts that maybe were not as clearly excluding of any other identities were made so by the people spreading it. Thus, in my eyes, tainting the whole cultural heritage is unwelcoming for a queer person like myself. However, I have been on a path of reconciliation with my cultural background, learning to look at folklore from my own perspective. One, inclusive and celebratory of queer identities. With my debut short film, I aim to take the viewers on a journey of healing the relationship to one’s culture and making space for queer people where that space has never existed in the first place.

Co-writer/sound

HAYDON ANDERSON

The melding of traditional and contemporary culture is what initially drew me to Alkis both as a co-writer and sound designer/composer. Lithuanian traditional music and contemporary queer music (such as hyper-pop and deconstructed club) both have very rich histories and textured sounds that will sound incredibly fresh and unique when blended together serving to create a middle ground between these two cultural polar opposites. This will create a unique point of space and inclusion for young queer people who feel alienated from their culture to which they want to feel a part of.

Co-writer

ANA-MARIA DUMITRESCU

I felt a very strong connection with the core of this film and was eager to jump on the project as soon as I heard Ula’s initial idea. It has been fascinating to learn more about Lithuanian folklore and explore the many similarities between it and my own Romanian culture. The story went through numerous significant changes during the development process, as we were aiming to create an experience for the viewer that can transcend cultural backgrounds, gender, or sexuality, while still portraying a bold, honest depiction of the queer experience with the backdrop of Lithuanian tradition and mythology. It felt like a healing process to take the rigid and traditional stories we grew up with and adapt them to fit our found authentic selves. I hope the audience will experience the same feeling when watching our film.

Producer

PÉTER KATUSÁK-HUZSVÁR

After living in multiple different countries around the world I have grown to appreciate people's stories and their experiences. Alkis was able to provide a unique experience of exploring one that I was not too familiar with, and the backdrop of the different Lithuanian folklore was a great subject to learn about as it was one, I have not come across before. Mixed in with the alternative aspect of the film and the opportunity to shoot outside of the comfort of a cosy set thrilled my producorial side as that daunting challenges and tasks loomed in. I felt that this film would provide the ideal opportunity for me to hone the range of skills I have learned these past three years at AUB and to truly grow as a producer.

Co-producer

ORLA FLEMING

I was immediately drawn to Alkis when it was pitched in its core theme of finding one’s place. Synthesising Lithuanian tradition and queer identity to enable this theme is a highly intriguing approach - one which lends itself to expressive and inventive filmmaking. As a producer, my role is to facilitate the creative departments in our group, but with my personal feeling of connection to the project’s exploration of queer lives and the sense of a spark across the production I am looking forward to an engaged, collaborative process, driven by our brilliant director. I hope that my experience working in dance production can aid the project in key areas such as locations and casting - and further, that by working closely with the lead producer we can bring this gem of a project to life.

Director of Photography

RÓISÍN BYRNE

The concept of nature and folklore has always intrigued me, in my own filmmaking and photography I have always found a way to intertwine them with one another. Similar to the Lithuanian beliefs, me being Irish means having that deep ingrained connection to folklore within my culture, evolving through paganism and its inherent connection to nature. With this connection, a challenge of more modern developments of culture has meant that my culture and thus myself have struggled with the progression of identity and self. This is something that I have had to overcome and would love to explore through the lens of a different culture to my own. Pushing myself through the experimental and performative aspects of the film, expanding my understanding and knowledge of cinematography. I can’t wait to work with a group of incredibly talented and dedicated people.

Gaffer

MAKSIM ŠIŠLO

The theme of the film resonates with my cultural identity, and it raised my interest in working on this project. Growing up in Latvia and spending a big portion of my life in Baltic nature, I have generated a close connection with Baltic folklore and culture which goes side by side with paganism. And even after Christian influence, many old traditions have stayed, such as the midsummer celebration. It will be very interesting to explore the topic of neo-paganism and how old traditions will meet with contemporary reality. From my part, the use of artificial lighting will bring a mystical and magical atmosphere, representing the spiritual experience.

Production Designer

HALLIE HALLIDAY

I find the juxtaposition of traditional Lithuanian folklore with modernised queer beliefs to be an interesting jumping-off point for designing the world of Alkis. As the film takes place entirely outside, it is going to be an ambitious challenge molding the location to fit the atmosphere of the film, however, with my interest in animation, I intend to push the alternative aspects of the project further by crafting a model-scale apple tree to act as a centerpiece, in order to have full control over every groove and indentation of the histories that we want to push forward.

Editor

MICHELLE CICHULSKA

Nature was always something that brings me peace, no matter what. Whenever I feel lost, I go to the beach and the ocean is still there, remaining unmoved. Like nothing ever happens. Reminded once again of humans’ fragility, I can truly connect to nature – but not as someone who’s trying to dominate it; but rather as its part - one of many - equally important parts. Alkis allows me to explore the specifics of the human-nature relationship and to rediscover it. It’s an experimental project, so as an editor I can put my whole self into it and cut it purely with my heart, not being constrained by anything. I’m thrilled to be a part of Alkis, and I’m extremely thankful for having a chance to merge human with nature in such a unique way.  

1st AD

MARÍA-JOSÉ ELÍAS BELTRÁN

As the 1st AD, I feel keen about this new experimental project as I will be encountering challenging situations. I am most excited about the dance sequences as I have never worked on a dance film before, and it will be interesting to learn more about how to navigate it compared to previous films I have worked on. In the past, I have had the opportunity to work in nature and I have really enjoyed it, but this film will pose new challenges as it will be shot at night. I am eager to bring this story to the screen together with our talented crew.

Makeup Designers

DANIELLE WATTIE

The opportunity to be a part of a film that has so much room for interpretation gained my initial attraction, after more communication and realising the creative freedom the film can offer I recognised how my previous fine art background and admiration for interpretational art would link perfectly into this film. Having the opportunity to gain more insight into working in different locations, lighting, and weather conditions alongside the collaboration with many different people will allow me to practice my skills within a professional setting and start my career in film. I look forward to learning more about Lithuanian culture and moving forward with this talented group of people. 

LEWIS BAVISTER

I have been studying media makeup for 6 years, I am currently in my final year of study at arts university Bournemouth. I strive to make great looks, specialising in dramatic looks including prosthetics, wigs, and more. I am currently working on Alkis where I am working in a team as a makeup artist. 

Crew photos were taken by Olivia Wang