Even though the Baltic seaside covers quite a small part of Lithuania’s territory, the cultural imagination of Lithuanians has always been focusing on the sea meaning much more than a geographical space, it was the gate of the state to the world, it inspired myths and legends, formed people’s lifestyles; whereas in films it has become one of the most universal imageries. The exhibition “The Sea in Lithuanian Films” overviews the image of the sea from the beginning of the 20th century to the present days and reveals how the meanings of it were changing, from a realistic scenery and historical memory to internal experiences, national identity and metaphor of existence, for the first time.  

In different periods of time, filmmakers perceived and interpreted the sea in different ways. In film chronicles of the interwar period Lithuania (1918–1940), it is depicted as a space for leisure and community. In later decades, the image of the sea gained new meanings which reflected the changes in society, history, language of films. In the Soviet period, under prevailing censorship and doctrine of socialist realism, the sea in a broader sense was used to create an idealised variety of reality: even daily routine of seamen, expansion of Klaipėda port and long-distance fishing voyages were included in a narrative of propaganda. However, in the 1960s, additionally to the official trend of films, a variety of the poetic film started emerging. Primarily, it is associated with the tradition of documentary films; nevertheless, features of poetic aesthetics appeared in feature films, too. Being unable to openly express their beliefs, film directors chose the language of metaphors and symbols as well as philosophical generalisations. Consequently, the depiction of the sea was changing, too: it no longer was a scenery or a background for action only, but rather became an equal participant of the story being told. Being changeable and mysterious, it created the mood of a film, expressed feelings of characters, emphasised the flow of time and fragility of human existence. Often, this element of nature was perceived as a living mystical organism, and sometimes the shore meant a symbolic boundary between mundane reality and the unknown. In animated films, the sea turned into a mythological space which was related to ancient Baltic beliefs, fairy-tales and legends. Eventually, interpretations of the sea multiplied, and its symbolic meanings obtained characteristics of metaphysics and magic realism, gradually becoming more diverse and complex. In films of both the late Soviet period and the restored Independent Lithuania, the sea reveals itself as an endless and unruled element of nature, against which the order created by humanity loses its power: borders of civilisation and social status disappear and restless waters embody an eternally pulsating cycle of life. The sea is the witness of the historical memory, too; it reminds of the dramatic events of the 20th century, talks about efforts of people to survive when facing geopolitical turmoil, renders the meaning to the pursuit of freedom and hope of liberation. In contemporary films, new interpretations of the sea emerge: it often acts as a background for characters facing critical moments of life, becomes a reflection of spiritual crises and the search for identity. By employing the image of the sea, experiences of different generations, various fractures of society, e.g. establishment of capitalism and materialism, changes of values and endeavours to find one’s own place in a rapidly changing world, are considered.     

Eight sections of the exhibition present diverse images of the sea in Lithuanian films. When travelling through different periods and films, visitors are invited to not only watch the sea in a film excerpt, but also to hear, feel and live it like a comprehensive experience. 

Curator: Auksė Kancerevičiūtė.
Designer: Ona Vėliūtė.
Creative team: Nideta Jarockienė, Vidmantas Kazlauskas, Aida Kavaliauskaitė.
Technical solutions: Audrius Janulevičius, Evaldas Narkevičius.
The films were lent by: Lithuanian State Central Archives, Lithuanian Film Centre, “Studija Kinema”, film studio “Nominum”, studio “A Propos”, “Vilanima”, “Moonmakers”, “Artbox”, “Lela films”, “M-films”, “Studio Uljana Kim”, “In Script”, “Fralita Films”.