The Balcony

„Falling out of a balcony and scratching a chin or swallowing a fishbone – doesn’t hurt, but it hurts to love.“

An undistinguished province town of the 80’s. After parents’ divorce, 11-year-old Rolanas and his dad move in next door to same-aged Emilija. Friendship is born between the kids, however, shyness or fear of opening-up makes them communicate through the wall, sitting in their own balconies, o through a socket connecting their flats. Emilija’s parents also appear to be on the verge of divorce. The children discover common topics, activities. Unfortunately, a nearly tragic accident prevents Emilija to go to the balcony. This encourages both children to set out for a “real” date.

Information

Year

2008

Genre

Fiction

Duration

47'

Production country

Lithuania

Dialogues

Lithuanian

Team

Director

Giedrė Beinoriūtė

Producer

Jurga Gluskinienė

Script

Giedrė Beinoriūtė

Cinematography

Audrius Kemežys

Editing

Giedrė Beinoriūtė

Sound designer

Saulius Uronavičius

Composer

Indrė Stakvilė

Cast

Elžbieta Degutytė, Karolis Savickis, Saulė Rašimaitė, Dovilė Tarvydaitė, Viktorija Kuodytė, Rolandas Kazlas, Irmantas Bačelis

Production company

Monoklis

Contacts

Jurga Gluskinienė

jurga@monoklis.lt

Director's biography

Giedrė Beinoriūtė

Giedrė Beinoriūtė was born on August 23, 1976. Graduated from The Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater, Film and TV department with MA in audiovisual arts in 2001. Since 1999 directed and wrote seven fiction and documentary short films and worked as an assistant director with the established Lithuanian filmmakers Šarūnas Bartas ir Arūnas Matelis.

Since 2004, member of Lithuanian Filmmakers Union. Since 2007, teaching script writing and TV directing at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater. In 2002 Giedrė Beinoriūtė was awarded with a prize from Lithuanian Ministry of Culture for the best professional debut in the arts. In 2005 she was awarded by the proze of Lithuanian Filmmakers Union for the documentary film “Vulkanovka”. Since 2007 she also teches in Skalvija Film Academy, works as a tutor in cinema workshops.

Filmography

My Lonely Friends / Mano vienišos draugės (1997, short fiction)
Mom, Dad, Brother, Sister / Mama, tėtė, brolis, sesė (1999, short fiction)
City of TrolleyBusses / Troleibusų miestas (2002, short documentary)
Existence / Egzistencija (2003, short fiction)
Vulkanovka. After the Grand Cinema / Vulkanovka. Po Didžiojo kino (2005, short documentary)
Grandpa and Grandma / Gyveno senelis ir bobutė (2007, short documentary-animation)
The Balcony / Balkonas (2008, short fiction)
Conversations on Serious Topics / 7 pokalbiai rimtomis temomis (2012, documentary)
An expert / Specialistė (2012, short documentary)
Breathing Into Marble / Kvėpavimas į marmurą (2018, feature fiction)