Neiplis, Florida

In 1997, the author’s family illegally emigrates to Florida, to the town of Naples, in search of a better life. They settle in a small two-room apartment, celebrate their first Christmas, and soon the mother starts working as a housekeeper and takes on two full-time jobs. After three years of stress and overwork, the mother experiences her first episode of psychosis. The dream of a new life across the Atlantic becomes a turning point in her mental health. More than twenty years later, as she approaches the age her mother was when her illness began, the filmmaker hopes to find answers in archival material and in conversations with her mother today.

Information

Year
2026
Genre
Documentary
Duration
17'
Production country
Lithuania
Dialogues
Lithuanian

Team

Producer
Akvilė Žilionytė
Script
Modesta Žemgulytė
Editor
Saulė Šmidtaitė
Sound
Laurynas Kamarauskas
Composer
Andrius Šiurys
Production Company
Artišokai

Contacts

Akvilė Žilionytė

Director’s Biography

Modesta Žemgulytė

An interdisciplinary artist and designer, she completed her master’s degree at the Vilnius Academy of Arts, Department of Photography, Animation, and Media Art. In 2018, her bachelor’s thesis project, “Objects with Stories” won the Young Designer Award in the communication category. This short film was selected for film festivals, including BLON, Soo Film Festival, Animex, 2ANNAS, Short Film Breaks, Lisbon Film Rendezvous, and others.

Filmography:

Objects with Stories / Daiktų istorijos (documentary, animation, 2018)

Neiplis, Florida (documentary short film, 2026)