-15, (2023) dir. Rinaldas Tomaševičius, 27′, Short, fiction, 16mm,
58th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Future Frames competition (Czech Republic) (source)
officially selected for the Obskuur Ghent Film Festival 2023 (Belgium);
officially selected for the Tbilisi International Student Film Festival 2023 (Georgia);
officially selected for the 3in1 Film Fest Almeirim 2023 (Portugal);
officially selected for the CinemaKing International Film Festival 2023 (Bangladesh)
Alexei is released on parole after fifteen years in prison. But the sweet scent of freedom is poisoned by an enduring sense of guilt that keeps him from growing closer to his daughter, who in the meantime has become a prostitute. Rinaldas Tomaševičius’s social drama looks at the difficulty of making up for lost time and finding one’s place in a new, dark, grainy, and fragmentary reality. The film lends a voice to antagonistic figures rejected by society, awakening their emotions and exploring their chances for a new beginning. Clear and empathetic, it presents us with the important message that even an antagonist can become a hero.