ACID FOREST

(orig. Rūgštus miškas)
creative documentary
by Rugilė Barzdžiukaitė
realization in collaboration with Dovydas Korba
2018 / Lithuania / 63 min

Can you imagine a tourist attraction where people come to see a dead forest? Where they are not only observers, but also the ones being observed and heard by the black birds?

There used to be an ancient pine forest, but then several cormorants landed there. Now there are thousands of the birds and they kill the pine trees by…shitting. The human observations and responses to this environment are as multi-layered and bizarre as the history of the forest itself.

The film is set in the Curonian Spit, which is a very scenic peninsula in Lithuania, edged by the Baltic sea from one side, and the lagoon from the other. It is a UNESCO heritage site, rich in natural resources and high-end beach resorts. For many people, the cormorant colony is a black spot in a heavenly setting.

“Apart from the main storyline, I kept my focus on playful dialogues, illustrating how a range of political questions, historical narratives, migration vectors and cinematic experiences intervene into the human projections of nature. I hope it helped an environmental paradox of Acid Forest to become a metaphor for a surreal world that we are living in.” – says the director of the film.

DIRECTOR’S BIO
Rugilė Barzdžiukaitė (b. 1983) works as filmmaker and theatre director, based in Lithuania. She completed her MA in Screen Documentary at Goldsmiths, London (2013), BA in Cinematography (2006) and Theatre directing (2008) in Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. In her creative works, Rugile explores the gap between objective and imagined realities, while challenging an anthropocentric way of thinking in a playful way. Prior to Acid Forest, Rugile has directed four short films and two contemporary operas (Have a Good Day! and Sun and Sea), which brought 6 prestigious awards for the creative team and are still touring around the world. Rugile is one of the three artists who will represent Lithuania for the Venice Biennale of Art in 2019.

PRODUCER’S BIO
Dovydas Korba (b. 1984) completed a BA programme in film production at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre in 2007 and continued his MA studies of Photography and Media Art at Vilnius Academy of Arts and the University of Applied Arts Vienna. Dovydas combines producing with his other practice in contemporary art field. Dovydas is co-founder and producer of film production company NEON REALISM (formerly, A LAUKAS).

CREDITS

Director, cinematographer, editor
RUGILĖ BARZDŽIUKAITĖ

Producer, assistant director, sound
DOVYDAS KORBA

Re-recording mixer
JONAS MAKSVYTIS

Colour grading
JONAS SUNKLODAS

Title animation
VYTAUTAS KAZLAUSKAS

Postproduction coordinator
AUSTĖJA GAPUTYTĖ

Image postproduction services
MADSTONE

Foley recording
JACEK WIŚNIEWSKI
FILIP STEFANOWSKI

Foley editing
ALICJA NOWAK
FILIP KRZYŻYKOWSKI

Foley services
COBBLESTONE

Technical assistance
TOMAS AMINOVAS
GINTARĖ BUTKIENĖ
GABRIELĖ BURBAITĖ
GEDIMINAS DARGUŽAS
VACLOVAS GEDVILAS
SAULIUS GUDAS
AIVARAS KASPERAVIČIUS
DONATAS RAVAITIS
DAINIUS VERŠULIS

Translators
RAMINTA BARZDŽIUKIENĖ
GABRIELĖ BURBAITĖ
JUSTINA DAUNORIENĖ
LINAS DIDVALIS
VINCENT DU
JULIETTE JOFFE
LUIN LAM
IRMA NORBUTAITĖ-ANDRAŠIŪNIENĖ
ELLE SEPP
ASTA ŽUKLYTĖ

English proofreader
YATES NORTON

Graphic designer
JURGIS GRIŠKEVIČIUS

Public relations
LINA VAITIEKŪNAITĖ
JOGINTĖ BUČINSKAITĖ

Production company
NEON REALISM / A LAUKAS

Producers
DOVYDAS KORBA
RUGILĖ BARZDŽIUKAITĖ

Film financed by
LITHUANIAN FILM CENTER

With additional support of
LITHUANIAN COUNCIL FOR CULTURE