The Writer

After 14 years of marriage, divorced IT engineer Dima goes to New York for a job interview and meets emigrated Lithuanian writer Kostas. They were friends during their mandatory stint in the Soviet army in faraway Stavropol. But they haven’t talked in 30 years since Kostas decided to pursue the American dream. Now Dima is eager to share his opinions on Kostas’s historical book “1990”. A spontaneous decision to make vegan borscht together strikes up a conversation with one rule – no sarcasm allowed!

The minimalist queer drama about guilt, regrets, fears, religion, bisexuality, defining choices, and the legacy of love is a subtle chamber piece anchored by tender performances by two American actors. The rich, jazzy soundtrack builds an intimate atmosphere of changed moods. The music is as integral to the storytelling as the sounds in the room and outside the window.

Openly gay Lithuanian filmmaker Romas Zabarauskas tackles many philosophical themes such as mental health traumas from the Soviet regime, differences between Capitalism and Communism, identity and heritage, intellectual Colonialism, and homophobia. He boldly questions whether occupiers can celebrate their culture or do their crimes negate this.

Edvinas Pukšta