The rebellious director Signe Birkova has created an avant-garde tale of history and fantasy, combining different film techniques in an unprecedented way. The surreal cinematic world of “Lotus” includes interpretations of real people and material from historical archives from the years 1900-1950. The soundtrack features works by Latvian composers, and to top it all off, the cinematography incorporates 8mm, 16mm and 35mm film to create an otherworldly visual spectacle.

“Lotus” contains references to iconic filmmakers such as Méliès and Hitchcock. It stars the chameleon-like Lithuanian actress Severija Janušauskaitė as Alice von Trotta, an underdog silent film director. The character forms a close bond with the vampiric Madam Falstaff, who has a hidden agenda: to use Alice’s artistic talents to create a propaganda film. Alice embarks on an uphill battle in the film industry, striving to write a phenomenal screenplay and fighting against government censorship.

Edvinas Pukšta