Lately it’s been fashionable to talk about Lithuania’s breakthrough and how we can achieve it. Stasys Baltakis, the producer of the film Izaokas–probably the first Lithuanian dramatic film to discuss the relationship between Lithuanian Holocaust perpetrators and Jews–says we will begin to move ahead as a country and nation only when we accept and solve internally the problems of our darkest history and identity.

Over the last several years there have been more open discussions of the Holocaust in Lithuania and collaboration by locals. About 90 percent of the Jews of our country were murdered. Stasys Baltakis, however, says there is a lack of constructive discussions and–most importantly–an open and sincere recognition of history.

Already in post-production, Jurgis Matulevičius’s first film with a running time of 90 minutes tells the story of main character Andrius Gluosnis who murders the Jew Izoakas [Isaac] in the Lietūkis garage massacre in Kaunas in 1941. The film is based on the short story of the same name by Antanas Škėma. It is scheduled to hit theaters on September 15.

Full story in Lithuanian here.