Works in Progress, Baltic Event Works in Progress
Renovation
As Ilona approaches her 30th birthday, she moves into a new apartment with her boyfriend Matas, a promising step toward their future. However, when Matas unexpectedly proposes, Ilona is filled with doubts. Their lives shift further when renovation work begins, testing their relationship.
Present day Vilnius a perfectionist 29-year-old Ilona lives under pressure to get settled and successful by the age of 30. She’s close to it: nominated for the translator of the year award, she's in a promising relationship with her boyfriend Matas, and together, they finally found a perfect apartment. However, the building’s renovation begins, exposing cracks not only in the building, but also in their relationship. A new connection with Oleg, construction worker from Ukraine, makes her question whether she really wants to settle down and have a family. Ilona experiences a change—she starts writing poetry, something she hasn't done since high school. On her 30th birthday party, Ilona opens up to Oleg about her doubts. But he’s going back to Ukraine to defend his country, which makes her choices seem less difficult. She kisses Oleg goodbye, but Matas sees it, and they break up. A couple months later, Ilona finally opens up to Matas, sparking hope for a more authentic relationship.
Keywords: coming of age
Director's note:
The idea of the film came to me as I was approaching 30. The sense of unfulfilled aspirations regarding home, family, and belonging is paralleling the protagonist Ilona's journey of self-discovery. I found it interesting to explore themes of identity, question societal expectations and the pressure to conform to traditional roles. It is hard to keep relationship and the complexities come not only from society, it comes from the experience we had growing up, it seems we still feel the lingering effects of Soviet mentality. I am interested in how human existence unfolds in everyday life. This is linked to the decision to limit myself to more or less one location where the action takes place. The apartment is also a character in the story. It serves as a metaphor for Ilona's evolving identity, reflecting her internal struggles. Filming on 16mm film would help to see the poetry in the everyday, to elevate the moments of everyday life.
Producer's note:
"Renovation" appealed to me as a mature work by an emerging director. The subtle peeling back of the protagonist's character and the swirling dramatic line, caught my attention when reading the script. Film delves into the complexities of identity and personal growth of a women against the backdrop of societal expectations. I think it is important to represent these themes in the cinema as exploring the challenges associated with coming of age can empower women and their ability to navigate societal expectations. Gabriele does this masterfully and delicately. The film creates an authentic sense of the aesthetics of the old cinema, as if the themes were not new, but eternal and familiar.
Gabrielė Urbonaitė is a Lithuanian writer, director and editor. Gabrielė is a recipient of National Lithuanian Film Award “Silver Crane” for her short film The Swimmer and Princess Grace Film Award for Back. Her debut feature Renovation was selected to EKRAN+ and Mediterranean Film Institute’s Script 2 Film training programs. She holds a BFA in Film from Emerson College and an MFA in Screenwriting & Directing from Columbia University.
Uljana Kim graduated from the Institute of Cinematography in Moscow (VGIK) in 1993 and is a film critic by education. She founded Studio Uljana Kim in 1997 and has produced since then thirty one feature and documentary films. Most of them were premiered at the most important international film festivals and others were successful at the domestic box office. The company’s goal is to produce & co-produce high quality art-house films intended for a worldwide audience.
KIEMAS / COURTYARD, 1999, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0201707/ AŠ ESI TU /YOU AM I, 2006, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0811164/ LOŠĖJAS / THE GAMBLER, 2013, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2924336/ EATURE FILM ABOUT LIFE, 2021, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15403134/ MARIUPOLIS 2, 2022, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt20221546/
With a Bachelor's degree in Arts, Alise has produced different projects for more than 12 years. In 2022 Alise was selected as a participant together with 9 European promising producers for Cannes Film Festival Court Metrage new initiative - New Producers Room and Match Me! in Locarno Film Festival. In 2023 Alise was selected for Visitors Programme at European Film Market in Berlin and was the participant of ACE Producers Mentoring EU programme.
Studio Uljana Kim is a leading company in Lithuania for producing full length features. Since its foundation in 1997, 16 feature films and 8 documentaries have been produced by the company. Most of them premiered at the most important international film festivals and others were successful at the domestic box office. The company’s goal is to produce and co-produce high quality arthouse films intended for a worldwide audience.
About: Started as a creative production company working with mostly commercials we became leaders of the local market. In 2018 we made a huge step and produced our first feature. Since then we have changed our focus on films and production services so we can work on projects which we enjoy the most.