Summaries

Synopsis

"I don't want to stay alive; I want to live..."These lines by the film character Milda convey the essence of this film probably mostprecisely. The story is taking place in the last decade of the 20 the century in Lithuania, in asanatorium located in a picturesque natural setting far from the bustle of the city.Counterintuitively, convalescing there are not older adults but teenagers hoping for amiracle. They suffer from various heart diseases, while some are awaiting a donor...That is where teenager Saulius (M. Ivanauskas), a promising sprinter who unexpectedlycollapsed during a race, is brought to recuperate. As is characteristic to people of his age,he is edgy and cantankerous, refusing to understand the reason for him being there andnot interested in making friends. In the beginning, neither the director of the medical facility(L. Laucevicius), nor the young people's mentor Andrius (R. Kazlas) can find a way toapproach the new boy. But patience does wonders...On the very first day, Milda (Roberta Sirgedaite), the long-term regular inpatient at thesanatorium who is awaiting a donor heart, catches Saulius' eye. Despite everyone trying topersuade Saulius that this girl is above his league, he's not going to give up easily. Thecasual teenage infatuation gradually develops into true first love. Love that overcomesevery obstacle, disregards every forbiddance, does not listen to the voice of reason, thatcan't be resisted, is dangerous, stays with us for the rest of our lives and is stronger thandeath.This is not only a story about love that knows no borders. In its background, the lives ofother characters are developing. A teacher with sadistic tendencies Vytas (A.Gradauskas), nicknamed "Beak", who doesn't love children and opposes the methods oftheir mentor Andrius, harbours an ambition of taking the good-natured directors' place.Meanwhile, Andrius is struggling to save a relationship with the sanatorium nurse Gabija (I.Patkauskaite), who feels neglected by her sweetheart, as he dedicates his entire attentionto the ill children. The teenage kids behave in a predictable for their age way - causehavoc, get themselves into conflict or comic situations, suffer but always get up andcontinue moving forward.The film features a great cast of young (students of A. Latenas and V. Bareikis) and oldergeneration actors. It is a heartwarming, wide-eyed and sincere film that Lithuanianaudiences have long been awaiting. It depicts the time before the internet, mobile phones,Facebook and Instagram. When feelings were purer, when we lifted our eyes to the skymore often, when another person could become the most important thing in the world,when hearts were genuine and knew how to beat as one.