World premiere
Murmuring Hearts
Redemption or the last stop?
Award-winning Lithuanian documentary filmmaker Vytautas Puidokas’s new film tells the story of a rehabilitation centre on an abandoned farm. It’s a refuge for troubled recovering addicts and former prisoners hoping for one last chance at a normal life. It is run by Žanas, a former addict who has turned his life around through nature and religion. One day, a 14-year-old boy named Matas joins the farm, seeking solace from his own childhood trauma. Together they begin to confront his past.
The film reveals the complex cycle of addiction and its impact on different generations, and focuses on the difficult journey of recovery, where love and support play a crucial role. But the question remains whether such facilities are really the way out. And what happens when they don’t work?
Mikk Granström
Vytautas Puidokas is a freelance documentary filmmaker based in Vilnius, Lithuania. He has a degree in Media and Film Studies from the University of Surrey (UK). His career began at Lithuanian National Television, where he worked as a scriptwriter and director. His debut feature-length documentary "El Padre Medico" premiered at Camden IFF (USA) and was nominated for Best Documentary in Lithuania. His other films have been screened at festivals in Europe and the USA. Apart from documentaries, Vytautas also makes music videos and video installations. His work deals with themes related to migration, history and identity.
El padre medico (2019, doc), Before They Meet (2021, doc), Murmančios širdys (Murmuring Hearts, 2024, doc)