Vesper, a science-fiction film by Lithuanian director Kristina Buožytė and French director Bruno Samper, is being advertised and planned to be distributed in Russia and Belarus without the producers’ knowledge.
The film’s producers blame the situation on a Ukrainian distributor’s uncoordinated actions that are “incompatible with human values”.
“We categorically oppose the screening of our film in the aggressor countries,” Asta Liukaitytė, one of the producers, has said.
According to Liukaitytė, Ukraine’s Top Film acquired the distribution rights for Vesper in the CIS countries in February 2021, but the film was only completed in March 2022, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The film crew could not have foreseen that the partners would choose to distribute the film in Russia and Belarus by “ignoring this shocking fact”, Liukaitytė said.
“Unfortunately, they did it, and they did it without informing us,” the producer said. “This is not compatible either with the radically changed situation or with humanity and moral standards.”
“We immediately stopped any cooperation with the company as soon as information about this affront came to us from third sources,” she added.
The company’s lawyers have looked into all possible solutions to stop the distribution of the film in Russia and Belarus, but the distributor “categorically refuses to enter into any negotiations” on the matter, according to Liukaitytė.
“We would like to warn others as well: unfortunately, some partners may let you down and be tempted by financial gain, ignoring humanity and democratic values,” she said.
The sci-fi film is set on Earth. Thirteen-year-old Vesper, played by Raffiella Chapman, is fighting to stay alive with her sick father Darius, played by Richard Brake, after the collapse of the world’s ecosystem.
According to Buožytė, Vesper is a story that sends an important message to society as a whole that you can survive even in the worst and most hopeless situations if you can see hope and have a reason to live, fight, and change the course of events.
“The film is about the values of freedom, humanity, and cooperation, which are the absolute opposite of Putin and Russia’s aggression and dictatorship,” she said.
Vesper will premiere in cinemas across Lithuania on September 30.
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
