Film screening
From Wednesdays to Thursdays: 10:00–17:00
On Fridays: 10:00–16:00
Book film screening
More than 50 films are screened on the themes of exile, armed and unarmed resistance, and Lithuanian revival. The most popular are:
Tomb 27/3. The Return of Vanagas
A scientific documentary film produced by the Genocide and Resistance Research Centre of Lithuania (LGGRT) Tomb 27/3. Vanagas Return (directed by A. Kuzmickas), which tells about the search for the remains of Adolfas Ramanauskas-Vanagas, the commander of the defence forces of the Movement for the Struggle of Freedom of Lithuania, and research carried out by scientists from the LGGRT Centre, Vilnius University and other institutions.
The film comes with English subtitles
The film comes with English subtitles
Give back to your homeland what you owe
The film tells the story of the congress of Lithuanian partisan leaders, which took place in the winter of 1949 in the village of Minaičiai, in Radviliškis district, in a bunker in the homestead of Stanislovas Miknius. On 16 February 1949, the Political Declaration of the Movement of the Struggle for Freedom of Lithuania was signed there, confirming the partisans’ ambition to restore an independent democratic state. Eyewitness accounts and archaeological excavations carried out at the bunker site provide a glimpse into the history of the heroic partisan struggle.
Ice in June
The Ice of June tells the story of the physical and spiritual destruction of the Lithuanian nation during the first Soviet occupation and the June 1941 deportations. Surviving witnesses – Irena Valaitytė-Špakauskienė, Ričardas Vaicekauskas, Rytė Merkytė and others – share their memories of the exile at the Laptev Sea. Their stories are complemented by drawings of Gintautas Martinaitis.
Žibutė – Rozalija Preibytė
The film Žibutė–Rozalija Preibytė tells the story of the life of political prisoner, poet and memoirist R. Preibytė-Valiūnienė and her family during the war and post-war period, when she found herself in a prison camp. From her youth, Žibutė was a poet, not surprisingly this film is also full of memories and poems from the poet’s book Ir aš ten buvau (I was there too). The film also discusses Lithuania’s armed resistance against the invaders, in which the heroine and her relatives participated.
Unoccupied
The film tells the story of one of the most active figures of the anti-Soviet resistance in Lithuania – Antanas Terleckas. A publisher of the underground press, founder of the Lithuanian Freedom League, who, together with his fellows, drafted and distributed the Baltic Appeal on 23 August 1979, he was arrested and imprisoned in the Soviet gulags several times because of his activities. The film features testimonies of family members, Russian and Lithuanian resistance fighters, and other contemporaries who knew Terleckas.
Women of Gulag: Jadvyga Bieliauskienė
The film tells the story of Jadvyga Bieliauskienė, an active participant in the anti-Soviet resistance, who was imprisoned twice in the Komi and Mordovia gulags for her activities. During the years of national revival, she joined various organisations, distributed the press, founded and led January 13the Brotherhood. This is a film about a woman who did not reconcile herself to Soviet reality, who was not afraid to resist the system, and who, through her persistent and consistent activities, maintained the undying hope of an independent nation.
Women of Gulag: Adelė Dirsytė
For Adelė Dirsytė, the most important things in life were her faith, her family and her homeland. Sentenced by the Soviet invaders to 10 years in a forced labour camp and 5 years of exile, she kept the spirit of others sharing the same fate alive through words and prayers. Unfortunately, she herself did not survive the torture of the gulags and died shortly before the end of her imprisonment. Her manuscript prayer books for Siberian prisoners, translated into many languages and written in the camps, have spread around the world. In 2000, the case for the beatification of A. Dirsytė was opened.
Women of Gulag: Nijolė Sadūnaitė
This is the story of Nijolė Sadūnaitė, a nun who actively participated in the underground publication of the Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania. In 1974 she was arrested and convicted. She was imprisoned for three years in the Mordovia women’s forced labour camp and spent the same amount of time in exile in the Krasnoyarsk Krai. As her written stories spread around the world, she was talked about and written about even in the West. In the film, Sadūnaitė herself talks about the dehumanised world of the Soviet gulags.
Women of Gulag: Stefanija Ladigienė
A documentary about Stefanija Paliulytė-Ladigienė, an active public figure in independent Lithuania, a teacher, wife of General Kazys Ladiga. In 1946, she was sentenced to 10 years in a forced labour camp and 5 years in exile. During her imprisonment in the Vorkuta and Taishet labour camps, S. Ladigienė took care of the younger prisoners, taught them and read poetry to them. After surviving the gulags and exile, she returned to Lithuania and spent the last years of her life in the family of her daughter, loved by all.
The 1941 Deportation through the Eyes of Children
The documentary tells the story of the first mass deportation of the Lithuanian population to Siberia on 14 June 1941. Around 18,000 people were deported from Lithuania, including more than 5,000 children. Very few managed to survive the Siberian hell. Today, those who were forcibly torn from their world at a very young age, share their painful testimonies about the inhuman conditions in exile – extreme hunger, cold, diseases and the hope of returning to Lithuania one day, which was stronger than anything else.
(Im)possible escapes. Part 1. The events of 1940
The film tells the story of the town of Kybartai before World War II, the political situation in Europe in 1939-1940, and the actions of the governments and leaders of different countries. The events of June 1940 and the escape of President Antanas Smetona from Lithuania are covered in detail.
(Im)possible escapes. Part 2. The First Occupation
The film tells the story of the Sovietisation of Lithuania in 1940 and how the Soviets took over the protection of the state border. It reveals the ways in which attempts were made to secretly cross the border. A considerable amount of the film is devoted to the story of escape of Gen. Stasys Raštikis and the ways in which attempts were made to bring him back to Lithuania.
(Im)possible escapes. Part 3. Postwar
The film tells the story of how border controls were increasingly strengthened during the second Soviet occupation and how Lithuanian partisans tried to establish contacts with the West. It mentions the marches of Jonas Deksnys and Juozas Lukša. In addition, the declassified documents of Western intelligence agencies (USA, Sweden) are presented, revealing their attitude towards the Lithuanian armed resistance.
(Im)possible escapes. Part 4. Bricha: Escapes of Jews in the Postwar Period
The film tells about the Zionist movement and the situation of Jews in the Soviet Union and Lithuania. It tells the story of the activities of various Zionist organisations in the post-war transfer of Jews to Palestine and the methods used by the KGB to deal with illegal refugees.