The next screenings in Karlovy Vary are on 9 and 10 July 2025.

Danielius (35) has been living in Norway for over a decade. He has everything he needs: a job, a family, and friends. When his father passes away, he is forced to return to his hometown in Lithuania to sell his childhood flat. Arriving at the end of summer, the small resort town feels like a temporary retreat. Yet, he quickly realizes that everything has changed.

As he reconnects with familiar places, old friends, and lingering memories, he is confronted by a quiet sense of loneliness. But instead of resisting it, he allows himself to explore it. Between farewells and fleeting moments, Danielius embraces the present, immersing himself in the town one last time before finally letting go.

Vytautas Katkus and Marija Kavtaradze penned the script, and the main cast consists of Lithuanian actors Darius Šilėnas, Arvydas Dapšys, and Vismantė Ruzgaitė.

“At M-Films, we believe that cinema has the power to reflect our times and the human condition. That’s why we produced The Visitor, the debut feature by Vytautas Katkus. Vytautas has an exceptional talent for revealing the subtle, often absurd poetry of human existence, something we witnessed in his award-winning short films. His ability to craft characters who feel distant yet deeply familiar makes us certain this story of loneliness will resonate with audiences everywhere. We’ve brought together an incredible team for this journey, partnering with Staer (Norway), Garagefilm (Sweden), and Arctic Film Norway Invest. The film has already received remarkable recognition: Best Project at Semaine de la Critique’s NEXT STEP, the ARTE International Award at Les Arcs Co-Production Village, and the Production Award at Torino Feature Lab. These milestones confirm our belief in the film’s potential’’, producers Marija Razgutė and Brigita Beniušytė told FNE.

Razgutė and Beniušytė produced the film through Lithuanian M-Films in coproduction with Elisa Fernanda Pirir through Norwegian Staer Films, Cathrine Persson through Norwegian Arctic Film Norway Invest, and Anna-Maria Kantarius through Swedish Garagefilm International.

The project was supported by the Lithuanian Film Centre, Eurimages, Arctic Film Norway Invest, the Swedish Film Institute, Creative Europe MEDIA and the Lithuanian National Broadcaster (LRT).

The principal photography took place in Šventoji (Lithuania) and Tromso (Norway) in 2024.

The film will be distributed by Kino pavasaris in Lithuania, Staer Cinema in Norway, and Folkets Bio in Sweden.

Vytautas Katkus (1991) is an up-and-coming writer, director and cinematographer. He graduated from the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, Cinematography studies in 2014 and worked as DoP with a strong visual and artistic vision for short films and documentaries. In 2019 he debuted as a film director with his first short film Community Gardens at the 58th Semaine de la Critique in Cannes, while his second short film Places (2020) premiered in Venice’s Orizzonti. His third short film Cherries (2022) was part of the official selection of Cannes Court Metrage. The Visitor is his debut feature film co-written with Marija Kavtaradze.

The 59th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival wraps on 12 July 2025.

Production Information:

Producer:
M-Films (Lithuania)
Marija Razgutė: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Brigita Beniušytė: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Coproducers:
Staer Films (Norway)
Garagefilm International (Sweden)
Arctic Film Norway Invest (Norway)

Credits:
Director: Vytautas Katkus
Scriptwriters: Vytautas Katkus, Marija Kavtaradze    
DoP: Vytautas Katkus
Editor: Laurynas Bareiša
Set designers: Lisanne Fransen, Ieva Rojūtė
Sound editing: Julius Grigelionis
Costume designer: Morta Jonynaitė
Choreography: Greta Grinevičiūtė
Make up/Hair Design: Jurgita Globytė
Cast: Darius Šilėnas, Arvydas Dapšys, and Vismantė Ruzgaitė