Sceneggiatura / Screenplay: Saulė Bliuvaitė Fotografia / Photography: Vytautas Katkus Montaggio / Editing: Ignė Narbutaitė Musica / Music: Gediminas Jakubka Suono / Sound: Julius Grigelionis Scenografia / Set Designer: Paulius Aničas Costumi / Costume Designer: Aura Narmontaitė Interpreti / Cast: Ieva Rupeikaitė, Vesta Matulytė, Giedrius Savickas, Vilma Raubaitė, Eglė Gabrėnaitė Produzione / Produced by: Akis Bado Con il sostegno di / Supported by: LRT, Lithuanian Film Centre, Latga Distribuzione internazionale / World Sales: Bendita Film Sales
Abandoned by her mother, 13-year-old Maria is forced to live with her grandmother in a bleak industrial town. During a violent clash on the street, Maria meets Kristina, a girl of the same age who is striving to become a fashion model. Trying to get closer to her, Maria enrolls in a mysterious modeling school, where the girls are preparing for the biggest casting event in the region. Her ambiguous relationship with Kristina and the intense, cult-like environment of the modeling school force Maria on a quest to discover her own identity. The film premiered at Locarno Film Festival in 2024, where it was awarded the Golden Leopard.
“Toxic follows the lives of young girls navigating through toxic landscapes, toxic beauty standards, and toxic relationships. As I myself grew up in a bleak industrial area, I was living with the thought of escaping – not just from my surroundings, but also from my body. I was very thin, trying to enroll in modeling agencies around my town, but I was constantly told some parts of my body were too big to fit the standard. I kept pursuing it, seeking validation in places where I couldn’t find any. This film is based on my own experiences as a 13-year-old girl and on the events that unfolded around me at that time. The core subject of this film is the human body. It explores the ways we relate to our bodies and deal with our imperfections. The way the body is a product, currency, an object of desire, the way the body is a human being, a unique creation. Tackling this subject through teenage characters, I aim to paint a picture of beauty, finding its way into a harsh and toxic environment.” (S. Bliuvaitė)
Saulė Bliuvaitė
Lithuanian film director and screenwriter Saulė Bliuvaitė, was born in 1994. Saulė graduated from the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre’s Film Directing program in 2018. Her short film Limousine (2021) received the Best Short Documentary award at the Warsaw Film Festival. Toxic is her debut feature film. After its premiere in Locarno, it was selected for over 20 international film festivals, including Sarajevo, Warsaw and Riga.
2016 Gyvenimas yra grazus ir niekada nesibaigia (Life Is Beautiful and Neverending) cm / sf 2017 Yana cm / sf 2019 The Contest cm / sf 2021 Limousine cm / sf doc.; Premi / Awards: Warsaw FF – Miglior corto documentario / Best Short Documentary 2024 Akiplėša (Toxic); Premi / Awards: Locarno FF – Pardo d’oro, Premio Swatch First Feature, Premio della giuria ecumenica / Golden Leopard, Swatch First Feature Award, Ecumenical Prize; CinEast – Grand Prix, Premio della critica / Critics’ Prize
