Concrete music
Musically gifted teenager Rokas flees his mafia family to avenge his mother’s death through music.
Vilnius, 1997. Teenager Rokas sits in a courtroom where a criminal case of national importance is being tried. The city is controlled by the mafia, while police are powerless. Rokas lives in a wealthy mafia family. His father forces him to attend martial arts, but Rokas discovers the school choir, where his musical talent flourishes. He has absolute pitch, unique vocals and masterful piano skills, but his father has other plans. His father heads the dangerous ‘Local’ mafia group, while his brother Andriocha is a member. Rokas meets alternative youths who have founded a rock band and seem to have what he lacks: freedom to sing. His mother secretly encourages his classical music path
Director's note
I still remember what it was like to grow up in 1990s Lithuania. Violence, organized crime, and fear were part of daily life. I was six when my mother left, and music became my only way to escape a world of burning garages, street gangs, and constant tension. As a teenager, I turned to music not for rebellion, but for survival, while freedom around me was interpreted through crime, underground youth culture, or silence. Concrete Music is my personal essay about a generation raised during independence, forced to grow up too fast. Through Rokas’s journey, I ask the question that still defines us: which version of freedom do we choose, and what responsibility does it demand?
Biography
Eglė Vertelytė (1983) is a Lithuanian screenwriter and director. After gaining a BA in History from Vilnius University, she continued her studies at the European Film College in Denmark and gained an MA in Screenwriting at the National Film and Television School in England. In 2009 she moved to Mongolia where she filmed her first mid-length documentary “Ub Lama” (2011) which received six international awards and was screened in over 20 international festivals. 2017 feature film “Miracle” premiered at Toronto International Film Festival, screened in more than 50 festivals worldwide (including six A-class film festivals) and won the Silver Crane Award, the most prestigious Lithuanian film award, for the best film, best director, best writer, and best actress. As a screenwriter, she has written three feature films and ten short films. She has also taught screenwriting at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre.
Filmography
Stebuklas (2017), Managers of Luck (2022, doc), Gardutė (Tasty, 2024)
Producer's note
Concrete Music" is a feature musical by Saulius Baradinskas, co-produced with Italy's Lumen Films. Andrea Gori (Lumen Films) and Saulius met at the Venice Film Festival in 2021 after "Techno, Mama". The project won the Italy-Baltic Co-development Award at WEW, received funding from the Lithuanian Film Centre and Creative Europe MEDIA, and was developed at Ekran+.
Set in 1990s post-Soviet Lithuania, "Concrete Music" is a crime drama and musical about freedom, identity, and healing collective trauma. Through teenager Rokas, it depicts a young nation’s shift from street mafia violence toward European values. Music and dance serve as the primary weapon against violence, transforming harsh reality through classical and 90s rock tracks, dynamic choreography, and vivid aesthetics. During Soviet occupation, Lithuania created the cult musical "Devil's Bride". "Concrete Music" is the first musical in the history of independent Lithuania, filling a unique niche in European cinema.
The film targets Gen Z and young adults (16–35) drawn to 90s subcultures and coming-of-age stories, alongside festival filmgoers and music lovers. The core theme of freedom is timeless, echoing Ukraine's fight for sovereignty and celebrating freedom as a basic human right.
Saulius and I have been a strong team for over 10 years, built on mutual trust and a shared vision. Having produced all three of his internationally awarded shorts ("Golden Minutes", "Techno, Mama", "Concrete Kids"), our proven creative synergy -combined with my extensive line-producing experience and Saulius’s AFI directing background- ensures we are fully prepared to execute this ambitious European musical
Profile
Viktoria Films is a Vilnius-based film production company founded in 2016 by producer Viktorija Seniut-Strolienė. The company focuses on short and feature-length fiction films, with a strong emphasis on national and international co-productions, while also exploring documentary formats.
Viktoria Films’ projects often explore relationships and family dynamics in all their complexity – from childhood memories and parenthood to disconnection and the unspoken struggles of modern relationships. We aim to produce artistically ambitious films that connect with audiences through emotionally engaging and truthful storytelling, while fostering meaningful international collaborations.