Vilis (55) awakens inside a mysterious Cube, an elevator-like box with an intercom instructing him to reclaim his lost identity by leaving through the red doors and returning through the green. Outside in Vilnius, paralysed by the 2020 pandemic, his wife and three adult children face an existential threat. To save them, Vilis must move beyond who he once was.
The main cast includes Dainius Gavenonis, Vilma Raubaitė, Adelė Šuminskaitė, Maksim Semionov and Vaidilė Juozaitytė.
“The film presents a unique narrative that tackles a universally recognisable issue, and ultimately conveys an emotionally impactful story of the protagonist’s odyssey toward self-acceptance through a rediscovered love for family. The theme of human reconciliation with oneself and liberation from mental limitations is characteristic to the director’s films, as it is a blending of various genre inspirations into a cohesive whole while embracing magical realism. In the context of the global crisis we’re living through, I have observed a growing appreciation for lighter stories with a strong visual cinematic language, stories that yearn for humanity, harmony, love, and hope. Dice-ching-o-mat is precisely such a project”, producer Uljana Kim told FNE.
Uljana Kim is producing through Lithuania’s Uljana Kim Studio, and the coproducers include Roberts Vinovskis of Latvia’s Studio Locomotive, Marju Lepp of Estonia’s FilmAvabrik and Paul Thiltges Distributions from Luxemburg. Galina Kim is executive producer.
The project is supported by the Lithuanian Film Centre, the National Film Centre of Latvia, the Lithuanian National Radio & Television, the Estonian Film Institute and the Cultural Endowment of Estonia.
The total budget is 1.5 m EUR.
The shooting began in April 2024 and was segmented into three separate periods, lasting for 29 days. Filming took place in various locations, including the city of Vilnius, a countryside homestead in the vicinity, a soundstage, and along the scenic Baltic Sea coast on the Curonian Spit.
The release of the film is planned for 2026.
Born in Vilnius in 1970, Kristijonas Vildžiūnas had an early passion for architecture and painting before studying Film Directing at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. In the early 1990s, he was also a songwriter and lead vocalist for the Lithuanian alternative rock band Šiaurės kryptis (Northern Direction), which he reformed in 2015 to create music for his films. He began his filmmaking career with several short films, and has since directed five feature films.
Production Information:
Producer:
Uljana Kim Studio (Lithuania)
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Coproducers:
Studio Locomotive (Latvia)
FilmAvabrik (Estonia)
Paul Thiltges Distributions (Luxemburg)
Credits:
Director: Kristijonas Vildžiūnas
Scriptwriter: Kristijonas Vildžiūnas
DoP: Jurģis Kmins
Production designer: Jurģis Krāsons
Editor: Danielius Kokanauskis
Costume designer: Liene Dobraja
Make-up artist: Eglė Mikalauskaitė-gricienė
Sound designer: Saulius Urbanavičius
Animation and VfX director: Jaagup Metsalu
Cast: Dainius Gavenonis, Vilma Raubaitė, Adelė Šuminskaitė, Maksim Semionov, Vaidilė Juozaitytė
