Directed by Arūnas Žebriūnas • 1969 • USSR/Lithuania

A poignant portrait of innocence and experience, Arūnas Žebriūnas’ exquisite drama captures the inner world of childhood with unusual clarity. Six-year-old Inga (Inga Mickytė) lives with her devoted but melancholy single mother (Lilija Žadeikytė), passing her days in carefree play with the neighbourhood children. But a cruel remark about her appearance from a newcomer into this idyllic world shatters young Inga’s sense of self, forcing her to reckon with the realities of the world around her for the first time. Perhaps the pinnacle of Žebriūnas’ much-loved canon of children’s cinema, with a charming score from Viačeslavas Ganelinas.

THE BEAUTY • GRAŽUOLE
Directed by Arūnas Žebriūnas
Written by Jurijus Jakovlevas
Cinematography by Algimantas Mockus
Music by Viačeslavas Ganelinas
Starring: Inga Mickytė, Lilija Žadeikytė, Sergejus Martinsonas

In Lithuanian with English subtitles