Marija Kavtaradzė’s short film “I’m Twenty Something” won best student film at the Lithuanian Film Academy Awards in 2015. Kavtaradzė also co-wrote the feature film “The Saint,” which premiered at Busan IFF and Warsaw ISFF in 2016. In 2017 the film had a theatrical release in Lithuania, where it grossed more than 250,000 euro. “Summer Survivors” is her feature debut. 

“Summer Survivors” will begin screening at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival on September 7.

W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.

MK: I would say that “Summer Survivors” is a love letter to people who are fighting a difficult war in their own heads and struggling with mental disorders. The film explores a will to survive when it seems impossible.

W&H: What drew you to this story?

MK: First and foremost, it was from my own personal experience and desire to see a film like this that I decided to make it. Maybe in some way I wanted to “explain” myself and since I don’t like to talk about my feelings verbally, I instead wrote the script for “Summer Survivors.”

W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?

MK: I want people to feel that they are not alone — that there are many people who are fighting this horrible battle, and although it doesn’t mean that it becomes easier, it can be at least a little bit less lonely. I want people to leave the cinema with hope and I want them to remember that “this too will pass.”

W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?

MK: I needed to find a distance to tell this story and a way to “hide” myself — and my own ego — in order to be 100 percent honest.

W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.

MK: Our film was financed in a pretty classic model: we received the grant from Lithuanian Film Center both for development and production, plus we qualified for 20 percent of the total budget from the tax incentives scheme. The production company also made their own investment into production. Last but not the least, we will soon receive funding from our national broadcaster as well.

W&H: What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

MK: A love for films and the need to create stories in my head. I remember that from childhood my family was always going to our neighbourhood video store and we were watching loads of — good and bad — American films. Only later, when I was a teenager, did I find out about European cinema; the classics: arthouse, film festivals films, etc. I started watching everything I could at that time.

I also remember how I would travel to my own head to create stories, especially while doing something boring like sitting in school. I think that these two things — love for films and the need to escape from where I am — made me choose filmmaking.

W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?

MK: Best: “Don’t forget to sleep,” which came from my mom.

Worst: “Don’t hurry. Be patient.” I know it’s not really a bad advice, but I hate it because I am very impatient and I believe that impatience is not always a bad thing.

W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?

MK: Make films about subjects you care about a lot and be honest. Don’t let the fear stop you from doing what you have to do.

W&H: Name your favourite woman-directed film and why.

MK: It’s hard to choose only one, because I admire many female filmmakers who inspire me — Sofia Coppola, Andrea Arnold, Lynne Ramsay, Věra Chytilová, etc. 

If I had to choose only one film it would be “Cléo from 5 to 7″ by Agnès Varda, because I watched it as a teenager and it really had an impact on me. I loved how it seems that nothing big really happens in “Cléo,” which made me look closer, trying to read and understand the film differently than I was used to before. I remember feeling the joy of watching a film that is happening in “real time.” I loved the atmosphere and the female character Cléo a lot. I loved that she wasn’t just “nice” — she was different from other characters that I saw in films.

I had a similar feeling with Varda’s “Vagabond.” I just love her characters, because they are not always pleasant. They are annoying sometimes and that’s what I love about them. I do believe that we need more female characters who are more than just “nice.”

Most recently, I was totally in love with Carla Simón’s “Summer 1993,” which is an incredibly strong debut that moved me a lot.

W&H: Hollywood and the global film industry are in the midst of undergoing a major transformation. What differences have you noticed since the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements launched?

MK: I am watching the processes that are going on in Hollywood and around the world and am inspired. However, I can only talk about my home country, Lithuania, which I know the best. The #MeToo movement in my country opened many wounds in our society and showed me that we still have a lot to work on. We had huge conflicts, but no real dialogue.

However, I am happy that we made an initiative with young film professionals: We wrote an open letter that many film professionals signed. We asked for equal rights and for our film center to do everything they can to prevent any possible harassment scandals in the future. Also, in Lithuania we have a new organization, Women in Film, created by strong Lithuanian voices that I admire. Women in Film (Lithuania) is starting to work, and it makes me happy to see that we are moving forward and are not ignoring what is happening in the world.