TOXIC
In-Person Screening: Saturday, November 9, 7:30 pm
Director Saulė Bliuvaitė will present a Q&A following the screening.
Toxic (Akiplėša)
Saulė Bliuvaitė, Lithuania, 2024
99 min. In Lithuanian with English subtitles.
New York Premiere
Dreaming of an escape from the bleakness of their hometown, two teens form a unique bond at a local modeling school, where the promise of a better life pushes girls to violate their bodies in increasingly extreme ways. This unapologetically, brave debut feature, the challenges of growing up in an environment where violence, even if hidden, seems to infiltrate everything. Toxic was awarded the Swatch First Feature Award for best debut film and the Ecumenical Jury Prize at the Locarno International Film Festival.
“An impressively tough-minded debut feature with glimmers of tenderness and humor” (Guy Lodge, Variety)
“Gritty and keenly observed, the film benefits from a pair of excellent performances from the young, first-time leads” (Amber Wilkinson, Screendaily)
“Mesmerizingly cinematic” (Mariana Hristova, Cineuropa)
Director bio:
Born in 1994, film director and screenwriter Saulė Bliuvaitė 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. Saule is the co-writer and co-editor of the historical drama Isaac (NYBFF 2021), nominated for a FIPRESCI prize at the 2020 European Film Awards. Toxic is her debut feature film.