Kristina Buožytė
Born (1982-10-09) October 9, 1982
Klaipėda, Lithuanian SSR, Soviet Union
Alma materLithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (LMTA)
Occupation(s)Film director, screenwriter, editor
Years active2005–present

Kristina Buožytė ([krʲɪstʲɪnɐ buəʑiːtʲeː]; born October 9, 1982) is a Lithuanian film director, screenwriter and producer. In her early films she focused on women, explored their inner world and depicted them using fantasy elements. Her science fiction film Vanishing Waves (original title Aurora) is described as a hypnotic, sensual sci-fi experience[1] and sexually explicit sci-fi tale[2] which was rewarded with 22 international awards in Europe and North America. Her and Bruno Samper’s latest science fiction bio-fantasy Vesper is described as melancholic fairytale.[3][4]

Career

Kristina Buožytė was born in Klaipėda, Lithuania. Since her adolescence she admired fantasy literature and attended theatre classes at Klaipeda Youth Theatre wanting to become an actress or a theatre director. In 2001 Buožytė entered Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre in Vilnius, but there was no course for theatre directing at that time, so she started studying Film and TV directing instead and got immersed in the cinema world.[5] The film-maker graduated the academy with a bachelor's degree in 2005 and master's degree in 2008 both in Film and TV directing.

During her years at the academy Buožytė created a number of short feature films, actively participated at Summer Media Studio in Juodkrantė, Lithuania, where she was awarded with the Best Film Marketing for Change the Record in 2005 and the Best Documentary Screenwriter for Send Me a Letter in 2006 as well as working in several film and TV companies as editor, script supervisor and director. Buožytė's first notable piece is the bachelor's degree diploma short film Change the Record. It is a comedic story about the young women who is longing for romantic feelings and involves in a relationship with a tiny man who appears while the vinyl records plays. The film was selected for the student film festival Cinema Mines'05 (Kino minos'05) and received positive feedbacks from both critics and cinema professionals. Lithuanian cinema critic Skirmantas Valiulis drew correlation between Buožytė's Change the Record and Pedro Almodóvar's Talk To Her where a tiny man engages in sexual activity.[6]

The Collectress (Kolekcionierė)

Kristina Buožytė's master's degree diploma film The Collectress is about a young woman Gailė (Gabija Ryškuvienė) who lost her ability to feel the emotions after her father's death. In order to regain the feelings Gailė has to film the situations and watch them again. She starts to construct sexual situations, thus 'the collection' grows.[7] According to the film-maker, the idea for the screenplay came when searching for the reason why people react to emotions shown on the screen more intensively than to those in real life.[8] From its original plot itself to the visual depiction of the essential instincts, The Collectress was review as a Freudian, brave and controversial film which contributes a new and fresh piece in Lithuanian cinema.[9]

The film was warmly welcomed internationally: it was shown in more than 30 film festivals in Europe (Karlovy Vary, Pusan, Valencia Film Festival, Meinheim, Kinoshock (in Anapa, Russia), North Africa (Cairo Film Festival) and South America (São Paulo). Buožytė received The Best Film Award in Lithuanian Cinema and TV Awards Silver Crane (Sidabrinė gervė) and the Best Director Award at the Kinoshock film festival in Russia in 2008. The international success of the film-maker's debut opened possibilities for her further career.[10]

Vanishing Waves (Aurora)

Buožytė's second feature film Vanishing Waves is about the emotionally remote scientist Lucas (Marius Jampolskis) who participates in neurological experiment where he successfully contacts a young comatose woman named Aurora (Jurga Jutaitė).[11] Lucas subconsciously communicates with Aurora's suppressed personality, breaks the rules and lies to the superiors about their relationship.[12] Because of the uncertain boundaries between dream and reality Vanishing Waves is often compared with Christopher Nolan’s Inception, except when Christopher Nolan's films are called sterile and sexless, Buožytė gives the audiences an immersive depiction of unconscious dreamworld as a surreal and explicit psychosexual smorgasbord that would make Freud blush.[13] Vanishing Waves is also compared to Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut because of its soft-core sex scenes[14] and Tarkovsky's Solaris because of its symbolic titular planet.[15] Meanwhile the director points out that film explores the psychological aspects of the relationships - all the feelings, the attitudes, the sufferings and the pleasures begin in human's head, thus the main focus is on the egocentrism of the main character and its transformation during the experiences of desire, pleasure and love.[16] It is the first science fiction film made in Lithuania and the first Lithuanian film distributed in North America.

Vanishing Waves was named the Best European Fantasy Film in 2012 and received 21 other awards of which 15 went to Kristina Buožytė for her creative work as a screenwriter and director. Buožytė's films fulfilled with eroticism, philosophical searching, and visual splendor makes her new provocative and exited European talent and it deserves to be noticed by cinephiles around the world.[17]

Filmography[18]

Short film

Year Title Director Writer Editor Notes
2003 Stop! Yes Yes Yes
Fatamorgana Yes Yes No
The Hole (Skylė) Yes Yes Yes
2004 Experiment (Eksperimentas) Yes No Yes
The Poem (Poema) Yes No No
The Dolbies (Kuklūs vyrukai) Yes Yes Yes
Ward No 23 (23 palata) Yes Yes Yes
2005 Change the Record (Pakeisk plokštelę) Yes Yes Yes
2006 Juozas Meškauskas Yes Yes Yes Documentary short
2014 K is for Knell Yes Yes No Segment of ABCs of Death 2;
Co-directed with Bruno Samper;
Also producer

Feature film

Year Title Director Writer Producer
2008 The Collectress (Kolekcionierė) Yes Yes No
2012 Vanishing Waves Yes Yes No
2022 Vesper Yes Yes Yes

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Title Result Ref.
2008 Lithuanian Cinema and TV Awards Silver Crane
(Sidabrinė gervė)		 Best Film The Collectress Won
Best Director Nominated
Best Screenplay Nominated [19]
XVII Open Film Festival of CIS countries,
Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia Kinoshock 2008		 Best Director Won [20]
2012 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Program: East of West Special Mention Vanishing Waves Won [21]
Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival Special Mention of the International Jury Won [22]
Narcisse Award for Best Feature Film Nominated
Palić Film Festival Special Mention Won [23]
Miskolc International Film Festival Jameson Features Won
Emeric Pressburger Prize Won [24]
Fantastic Fest Best Picture Won
Best Director Won
Best Spreenplay Won [25]
Lund International Fantastic Film Festival Feature Film Méliès d'Argent Won [26]
Sitges - Festival Internacional de Cinema de Catalunya Feature Film Méliès d'Or Won [27]
Rio Grind Film Festival Best Film Won [28]
2013 Lithuanian Cinema and TV Awards Silver Crane Best Film Won
Best Director Won
Best Screenplay Won [29]
Jameson Dublin International Film Festival Best Screenplay Won [29]
2022 Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival Jury's Choice Vesper Won [30]
Golden Raven Won

References

  1. ↑ Sélavy, Virginie (May 13, 2013). Kristinia Buozyte on Vanishing Waves Archived 2022-08-11 at the Wayback Machine. Electricsheepmagazine.co.uk. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  2. ↑ Scheck, Frank (March 17, 2013). Vanishing Waves: Film Review. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  3. ↑ Lovitt, Maggie (2022-09-23). "'Vesper' Is a Melancholic Fairytale Set Within a Hostile Dystopia | Review". Collider. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  4. ↑ "'Vesper' Film Review: Quietly Dazzling Sci-Fi Drama Creates a New Kind of Genre". 2022-07-06. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  5. ↑ Radzevičienė, Laisvė (June 09, 2013). Kino režisierė Kristina Buožytė: „Kartais norisi gyvenimą iškeikti“. 15min.lt. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
  6. ↑ Kino minų informacija (November 15, 2005). KINO MINOS'05 - profesionalūs lietuviško kino žaidimai. Lithuanian Film Centre. Lfc.lt. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  7. ↑ Lithuanian Film Centre. Kolekcionierė/2008. Lfc.lt. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
  8. ↑ Delfi informacija (November 24, 2014). Geriausias šių metų lietuviškas filmas „Kolekcionierė“ išleistas DVD. Delfi.lt. Retrieved March 14, 2014.
  9. ↑ Kulvietis, Marijus. Recenzija: Kolekcionierė Archived 2016-04-27 at the Wayback Machine. Kinas.info. Retrieved March 14, 2014.
  10. ↑ Brašiškis, Lukas (July 2, 2009). Jaunasis lietuvių kinas: čia ir dabar (II). Kristina Buožytė. Bernardinai.lt. Retrieved March 14, 2014.
  11. ↑ Fear, David (March 11, 2013). Vanishing Waves: movie review. Time Out New York. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
  12. ↑ Humanick, Rob (March 14, 2013). Film Review: Vanishing Waves. SlantMagazine.com. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  13. ↑ Kewley, Pat (24 July 2013). 'Vanishing Waves' Is an Erotic and Surreal Sci-Fi Head Trip. PopMatters.com. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  14. ↑ Scheck, Frank (March 17, 2013). Vanishing Waves: Film Review. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  15. ↑ Wilkins, Budd (July 26, 2013). DVD REVIEW: Vanishing Waves. SlantMagazine.com. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  16. ↑ Sélavy, Virginie (May 13, 2013). Record of: Kristinia Buozyte on Vanishing Waves Archived 2022-08-11 at the Wayback Machine. ElectricSheepMagazine.co.uk. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  17. ↑ Kewley, Pat (24 July 2013). 'Vanishing Waves' Is an Erotic and Surreal Sci-Fi Head Trip. PopMatters.com. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  18. ↑ Lithuanian Film Centre. Artists Profile: Kristina Buožytė. Lfc.lt. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  19. ↑ Lithuanian Cinema and TV Awards. Silver Cane 2008. Lika.lt. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  20. ↑ Kinoshock 2008. Winners. Kinoshock.ru. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  21. ↑ 47th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Awards Archived 2014-09-15 at the Wayback Machine. Kviff.com. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  22. ↑ Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival 2012. Winners. Nifff.ch. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  23. ↑ 19th Palic Film Festival(July 19, 2012). Fourth Press Conference Archived 2014-03-18 at the Wayback Machine, Palicfilmfestival.com. Retrieved March 8. 2014.
  24. ↑ Miskolc International Film Festival. Winners of the 9th Cinefest Jameson International Film Festival 2012. Cinefest.hu. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  25. ↑ Bordes, Meredith (September 09, 2012). The Fantastic Fest 2012 Awards!. Fantasticfest.com. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  26. ↑ Lund International Fantastic Film Festival. The Festivals. Melies.org. Retrieved March 9, 2014.
  27. ↑ Sitges - Festival Internacional de Cinema de Catalunya. The Festivals Archived 2018-10-01 at the Wayback Machine. Melies.org. Retrieved March 9, 2014.
  28. ↑ Lietuvos Kino Centras (February 27, 2013). Lithuanian film ‘Vanishing waves’ receives one more award. Lkc.lt. Retrieved March 9, 2014.
  29. 1 2 Domeikaitė, Audrė (May 11, 2013). „Sidabrinės gervės 2013“ apdovanojimuose triumfavo „Aurora“. 15min.lt. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  30. ↑ Kažukauskaite, Neringa. "Lithuanian Sci-Fi Drama Vesper Announces Domestic Release - FilmNewEurope.com". www.filmneweurope.com. Retrieved 2022-09-28.

Further reading

  • "Kristina Buožytė: Film Is the Door to a Specific World" in Lithuanian Cinema: Special Edition for Lithuanian Film Days in Poland 2015, Auksė Kancerevičiūtė [ed.]. Vilnius: Lithuanian Film Centre, 2015. ISBN 6099574409.
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