VILNIUS: Italian director Gabriele Salvatores is shooting English language feature film Siberian Education (Educazione Siberiana) in Vilnius, Lithuania. The film is a coproduction between Italian film company Cattleya S.r.l. (http://www.cattleya.it/home/) and Lithuanian production company Nordic Productions (www.nordicproductions.lt).

John Malkovich stars as Grandfather Kuzja, a man who passes on the criminal ethics of the Siberian gangster community to his young grandson, Kolyma, played by Lithuanian newcomer Arnas Fedaravičius.

The film is an adaptation of the Nicolai Lilin autobiography of the same name, which has been translated into 14 languages. The book was adapted for the screen by Italian screenwriting duo Stefano Rulli and Sandro Petraglia. It follows the tight-knit community of "honest criminals" in a remote part of Russia. Told from the perspective of a boy gaining his "education" as a member of the Mafia-like Urkas in Transnistria, we get a glimpse inside the strict codes of honor and the rituals of this bizarre community. Besides having a deep distrust of outsiders - especially the police - the community is split into 'honest' and 'dishonest' criminals, and crime is all-pervasive. Even the youngest children are taught to understand violence and, when it is appropriate, to use it. By the age of six Nicolai Lilin is given his first "pike knife" by his uncle. By the age of twelve he is convicted of attempted murder.

Siberian Education (Educazione Siberiana) from director Gabriele Salvatores will complete filming in winter 2012. Principal photography is taking place both in Lithuania and Italy.

Gabriele Salvatores is best known for Mediterraneo, which won the 1992 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Post-production will be completed in April 2012.

Production information:

Cattleya S.r.l.
P.le Valerio Massimo, 7
00162 - Rome, Italy
Tel.: +39 06 367201
Fax: +39 06 3672050
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UAB Nordic productions

Milda Leipute
Line Producer LT
Uzupio 27-2
01202 Vilnius,Lithuania
ph. +370 646 44 407 +370 646 44 407
fax +370 5 212 0825
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