Cinema for me is…
Rokas in 23 frames
1. Describe yourself in ten words.
A human with a passion to create and explore everything.
2. Your best quality? Your worst habit?
Best quality: Dreaming big and the ability to adapt easily to anything new. I can easily transfer from one project to another, from one vision to a whole new one
Worst habit: While I am not a procrastinator, I cannot think of any worse habit of mine than sometimes putting off work for later, right now that is the biggest struggle that I am trying to conquer in my life.
3. Your dream job?
Any job that requires me to create anything is my dream job – from a movie director to a rocket scientist, I wish to be seen and respected as a creator.
4. What do you like most about your country?
The country’s history and the atmosphere of the nature, the purity in the air. The trees here literally speak to you.
5. Your favorite dish in your country?
It is very simple, but sometimes the simple things are the best – dumplings with mushroom filling.
6. Which word or phrase in your native language do you like the most and what does it mean?
The word would be “laisvė“, which means freedom, but it seems to mean a lot more to the people of Lithuania.
7. What European capital have you visited lately?
Because of the pandemic I could not visit any countries lately. Last place that I have visited was Paris, that is stuck in my mind as a quite vivid memory.
8. Other than your own, which European country would you love to live in?
Most likely in France. It is just something about the French culture, the nature, and the feeling overall that is close to my heart. Most importantly, I love the language.
9. What does Europe mean to you? 3 values.
It means unity amongst our species, it means help and caring for others, it means that we are thinking not only about ourselves, but beyond, a vision of progress together. I hope one day we can all be happy and united, putting our differences aside.
10. What film made you fall in love with cinema?
It was 2014, while attending the spring film festival in Lithuania I saw Taika Waititi’s film What we do in the shadows (Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi, 2014, NZ). For the first time ever, I started questioning the filming techniques, I was interested in how exactly this piece of art was made, what made it so great to watch. A spark in me was born that day that never fizzled away, it only got stronger.
11. Your favorite film theatre? What do you like about it?
My local film theatre in Vilnius, Skalvija, which showcases many old, vintage, exclusive movies, and hosts events for educational purposes. It also has its own film school that I have taken part in.
12. Who is your movie hero?
Andy Dufresne. The movie’s Shawshank redemption (Frank Darabont, 1994, US) main character has always struck as a very hard willed, dedicated, smart, and a very sympathetic character for me.
13. Which movie director would you like to be?
Wes Anderson. Of course, I would like to be myself the most, but a little bit of quirkiness could help any soul out.
14. Briefly describe your favorite scene.
It is hard to pick one scene out of so many, but the one that pops up in my head would be the astounding scene at the end of Schindler’s List (Steven Spielberg, 1993, US) when Shindler himself shows deep connection with his saved workers and feels deep regret for not saving a lot more. From the writing to the performance, to the way it was shot it is to this day one of the most emotional scenes in cinema history that could make anyone cry.
15. What are the 3 best European films you have seen in the last year?
My top three and my big recommendations right now from European cinema would be
Sniegu juz nigdy nie bedzie (Michal Englert, Malgorzata Szumowska, 2020, PL)
Mila (Christos Nikou, 2020, GR)
Berlin Alexanderplatz (Burhan Qurbani, 2020, DE)
16. Which film character do you most identify with?
Maybe it is only nostalgia speaking, because I grew up with these kinds of movies, but I identify the most with 2014 movie’s Guardians of the Galaxy (James Gunn, 2014, US) Star-Lord’s character. I feel connected with him in many ways, having the same needs as him.
17. Your favorite soundtrack or song?
“Get back” by The Beatles. Nothing speaks to me more than that song. Take a listen yourself!
18. If you had to live in a movie, which one would you like it to be?
Howl’s moving castle by Hayao Miyazaki (2004, JP). Putting the war themes that surround this movie aside there is nothing more wonderful than the blissful world filled with magic and wizards, a world that uses these fantasy elements to its full story potential in this masterpiece of an animation.
19. Your life becomes a bio-pic. Who plays the role of you?
I think Eddie Redmayne would do the best job of the actors of the top of my head having in mind his reputation and acting roles throughout his carrier. Not the stereotypical male main character.
20. Which talent would you most like to have?
I really feel happy with just how I am, I guess the only talent that I might want would be photographic memory, would come in handy.
21. What is your most treasured possession?
A necklace with a silver wolf’s face. It is a gift from my girlfriend that I cherish more than any other materialistic possession of mine. It has sentimental value, and of course – it is awesome looking.
22. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
My greatest achievement is humble, but I think the fact that I took upon myself to use my creativity in so many fields is greatest achievement in life. It has given me a lot of experience, I started taken things into my own hands, enrolling myself in many activities since I was very little. My own will has driven me forward, I explored myself, nobody told me to, and I am proud of that.
23. What is your motto?
If you cannot change anything, change your perspective.