In the 1960s–1970s, Lithuanian films were attributed with a specific poetic tradition which continues to the present day. The creators of it invited to look at the daily routine anew and to discover beauty, meaning and sacredness in simple things. In those films, the sea became a reflection of human feelings and the internal world, which allowed using the language of metaphors to talk about national consciousness and fundamental values. In a legendary film “Feelings” (directors Almantas Grikevičius and Algirdas Dausa, 1968), the element of water is an essential part of the plot and symbolism. The sea and the Curonian Lagoon reflect inner states of twin brothers, Kasparas (actor Regimantas Adomaitis) and Andrius (actor Juozas Budraitis): suppressed passions, insatiable longing, fear of the post-war. The sea, wintry, frozen at the coastline, heavily waving in ice leads, and a biting wind – these are silent companions of an unavoidable threat. The sea also performs an important dramatic role in Arūnas Žebriūnas’s film “The Girl and the Echo” (1964). Vibrating seaside air, the rhythm of the waves and vast panoramas subtly reveal the spiritual purity of a little girl, Vika (actress Lina Braknytė), and the film itself resembles a poem about childhood and the first encounter with betrayal. In Algirdas Araminas’s film “A Small Confession” (1972), the Baltic Sea is juxtaposed to the grey, depressing routine of a Soviet-period school and family dramas. An eighteen-year-old son Arūnas (actor Andrius Karka) is in search of his place in life; therefore, the port of Klaipėda, ships and the sea express his craving to break away from daily routine. Deliberately, the phrase “Benas, let’s go to Nida!” meant the dreams about freedom, romanticism and life without restrictions shared by the youth back then. Based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy-tale, the film “Fen-Fires” (1980) created by Gytis Lukšas reflects the magical, poetic worldview characteristic of the writer. The sun setting in the sea, a piece of amber found on the seashore seemingly remind that its every piece hides its own story or a fairy-tale untold yet.    

Quotes

“The sea is like human conscience, seems calm from a distance only.” (A. Grikevičius)
“In films by Araminas, the sea is a reflection of heroes’ sincerest feelings, sometimes exaggerating, exalting them, sometimes absorbing them, bringing calm or comfort.” (Neringa Kažukauskaitė. “Algirdas Araminas. The Lyricist of the Screen” (in Lithuanian ‘Algirdas Araminas. Ekrano lyrikas’) In: “Lietuvos kinas. Laiko slenksčiai, raidos ženklai”, vol. 1. Vilnius: Lithuanian Film Centre “Avaka”, 2024, p. 410–421.)