N WIND | 03 ENG

2014 December

CREATIVE NORTHERN ENERGY

Stars

NOTECED

Rumours. At the end of November, we had the chance to take the Eurostar from London to Paris. Also travelling on the train were a small group of creatives from London. It was fun to listen to them talking about what goes on behind the scenes of London’s creative industries. One thing that really jumped out was the phrase: “The discovery of the year for me is that awesome DJ Ten Walls, he’s amazing.” The rest of the group nodded in agreement. It looks like Lithuania has a real international music star.

Stars The thing about stars is that they have to shine until the day they fizzle out. As long as their light has a primary source. There’s no need to wait until the light goes out because it will be visible for a long time. The star is dead, we know that, but we like stars so we pretend that we don’t know. However, eventually, they do fizzle out.

Finding your own new star is a great feeling. Its light is the brightest, it exudes the most spontaneous energy and feels closer than any other. The more energy a star exudes, the more it receives back in return – the stronger it gets.

We need stars – that’s the game. Countries, brands, tendencies, cats, actors, people, cities. Above the Northern nations there is a vast swarm of stars.

We exchange, observe and flaunt them, gossip over them, follow them and sometimes find one for ourselves – then everything becomes bright and easy. Observing is easier than standing out from the crowd. You can observe secretly and silently.

People who have the potential to shine are important. They warm, they glow and they show us the way. If they aren’t running out of fuel.

Yours, N WIND

Playslist. Speaking of music – have you tried out the so-called Lithuanian Spotify website Pakartot.lt? “Pakartot” in Lithuanian is “encore”. For the past three hours we have been scavenging the website for reminders of our adolescence. For some – it was Junior, for others it was Tomas Augulis. The online streaming service for Lithuanian music with the brilliant name – name one performer who doesn’t love to hear the crowd chanting “Encore!” – has gathered music from different genres and periods. The next step should be a mobile app. www.pakartot.lt Logo. Vilnius International Film Festival Kino Pavasaris has had a makeover. After a decade with its previous visual identity, they have gone in a different direction. The bright yellow cinema flower that declared the beginning of a new season is no more. The new identity also seems to place an emphasis on spring. However, at first sight, the angular composition looks more like the Star of David and the shade of green chosen is more reminiscent of wall paint than the fresh leaves of spring. The organisers have some work to do to help the viewers work out the message they are trying to convey. www.kinopavasaris.lt.

Holidays. We would like to thank fashion hooligans Mother Eleganza and florists Buketai for their gifts. In the middle of the magazine, you will find some wrapping paper – a romantic floral composition on one side and an ironic black and white pattern on the other.

N WIND ENCOURAGES TO CHANGE INSIDE AND ECHANGE BETWEEN

Monthly magazine about culture and creative business in Northern Europe

ISSN 2351-647X 2014, No. 3 Published by UAB BLACK SWAN BRANDS Address Šiaulių g. 10 / Žemaitijos g. 13, Vilnius www.nwindmag.eu hello@nwindmag.eu www.facebook.com/nwindmag

Editor Tautė Bernotaitė, taute@nwindmag.eu Authors Tautė Bernotaitė, Andrius Jevsejevas, Dovydas Kiauleikis, Giedrė Stabingytė, Domantas Širvinskas, Evelina Ozola, Annika Tenho, Karolis Vyšniauskas Advertising, distribution, projects Dovydas Kiauleikis, dovydas@nwindmag.eu Design Laura Tulaitė, Tomas Mozūra, tomas@nwindmag.eu Printed by UAB „Lietuvos ryto spaustuvė“

Cover Högni Egilsson

by Visvaldas Morkevičius, 2014

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Giedrė Stabingytė, branding bureau BLACK SWAN BRANDS

The Red Jackets A decade after she wore it, Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga’s memorable red suit from the 2002 NATO heads of state summit inspired the creators of a new movement in Latvia – The Red Jackets, which recognises exceptional performance of Latvian export brands. Thanks to some ingenious export, branding and communication professionals, the red jacket is now becoming a symbol of Latvian business stars.

The idea for the project was born in the “business triangle”: Inese Andersone of GatewayBaltic was interested in the challenges facing Latvian exports and both Inese Indāne (founder of the brand nest Matka) and Andris Rubīns (head of advertising agency DDB Latvia) were passionate about brands, Latvia and its image abroad. “A lot of exporters have noted that Latvia not being well known abroad and the fact that there isn’t a common vision when presenting Latvia to foreign markets negatively impacts exports. But at the same time, exporting companies are the real ambassadors of their country in international exhibitions, trade missions and seminars. This paradox allowed us to see significant opportunities,” say the founders of the project.

Sunject

Why brands? Strong brands equal a strong national image. Saffron Brand Consultants, whose representatives prepared one of the strategies for shaping the national image of Lithuania, noted that “what a country does and how it does it; what a country produces and how it produces it” is one of the key aspects forming people’s perception of a country. Skype gave us “e-stonia”.

When brothers Saulius and Aidas Dailidė, creators of the Pixelmator app, were getting on the stage at an Apple conference to present their product, I was thinking that this is the kind of brand placement that Lithuania couldn’t buy even if it wanted to. But what’s next? We are witnessing the formation of the idea of the country as a brand in the world of business and creative contacts. The government should embrace this idea and, with the help of professionals, form a long-term vision for its growth. It is no accident the strategy for shaping Lithuania’s image is in limbo. The example from our neighbours shows progress will be made from the bottom up. The Red Jackets team says: “Through the Red Jackets movement, we are cre-

ating Latvia’s identity. We will have no one else to blame, because we are taking part in it ourselves.”

What are The Red Jackets today? The Latvian Chamber of Commerce along with investment groups, various ministries, sponsors and the SSE Riga business school have all joined the movement. The first stage of the project is complete: out of more than 1300 exporting companies, they have chosen 25 Red Jackets – 25 exceptional Latvian export brands – and they have also released a book, the Treasures of Latvia, which introduces the stars of the Latvian export market, carefully shaping Latvia’s identity. A portion of these Red Jackets are also known in Lithuania – Air Baltic, Latvijas Balzams, Lauma Lingerie, Madara Cosmetics and NP Foods (known under the Laima brand).

Was choosing The Red Jackets easy, I ask suspiciously? “Not at all,” I receive the answer I expected. “We had a methodology which, over the course of 5 stages, allowed us to narrow the field to 100 companies, and these were evaluated by the experts. That’s when the discussions started getting difficult: the experts were from different fields so it was difficult to agree. There were

Strong brands equal a strong national image

The Red Jackets organisers. Photo by the Red Jackets

many questions, such as whether companies under partial government control should be on the list. But for the founders of the movement, the most important thing was always the brand and, even though there is room for improvement, we believe the Red Jackets have set new criteria for export companies.” However, choosing the nominations was not the most difficult stage. The organisers call the project an “expensive hobby”, because they worked for free, during work or personal time. Attracting the interest of businesses wasn’t easy either. Some hurdles resulted in actual tears being shed, hurdles such as the indifference to the country’s image shown by government institutions and ordinary people.

What’s next? “100 Red Jackets” to mark Latvia’s 100th anniversary of independence. Support and enthusiasm for the project remains high. “We are working in cooperation with the Latvian Institute and the Latvian Presidency of the European Council and we hope that will help us to spread the word abroad. At the moment, we are trying to present the Treasures of Latvia book on various platforms, we are in talks with EXPO Latvia about this. We are preparing for the start of the next preliminary stage in 2015 and the release of a second book in 2016. In 2018, to mark the 100th anniversary of Latvian independence, we want to award 100 Red Jacket nominations and publish 3 books.” The organisers admit they now understand that shaping Latvia’s national image will require patience.

To recognise young and creative companies, the organisers have created a special nomination – The Rising Stars: “We wanted to reach the crazy, young and ambitious stars of the future and not just established companies.” Out of the 50 that applied, the creators have chose 11 and think that these creative companies will benefit most from the Red Jackets movement – because of both various seminars and the publicity they will receive in the local and foreign markets. www.theredjackets.lv

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The Red Jackets in numbers 2013 – the movement begins 25 Red Jackets out of more than 1300 export brands 11 Rising Stars 1 book – Treasures of Latvia 15,000 euros in investments from sponsors 2015 – stage two 100 Red Jackets to mark the 100th anniversary of Latvian independence in 2018

N WIND x Latvia Latvian brands emanating Nordic creative energy

MADARA COSMETICS

UTHA

UPB

Rising Star. Utha’s specialty is 21st century shamanistic hats. Operating through the e-commerce website Etsy, Utha’s creators won a golden ticket due to their crazy and irrational concept and expressiveness. www.utha.lv

Red Jacket. The history of UPB dates back to 1991 when it was but a small architecture firm.

Today, it’s a holding company with 8 offices in Western Europe and exports to markets in Northern Europe. The company stands out due to its philanthropic work in the arts field, having a collection of over 100 works from the 1980s – the most significant period for Latvian contemporary art. Interestingly enough, these works are exhibited in the company’s manufacturing facilities. www.upb.lv

Red Jacket. Having opened their first stand in Riga’s Stockmann shopping centre in 2006, today this manufacturer of organic skin care products exports their wares to, among others, Finland, Japan, Denmark and Switzerland. The meaning behind the name Madara (the Latvian word for the bedstraw plant) is the power of Northern European plants. They don’t cease to amaze: 4 years ago, the company, with the help of scientists from the University of Latvia, started investigating the effects of birch sap and found it to have properties aiding skin rejuvenation. www.madaracosmetics.lv

BLINDSAVE Rising Star. The wingman of ice hockey’s little brother – floorball. The first world floorball championship was only held in 1996, so it’s safe to say manufacturing equipment for this sport is a niche market. But Blindsave has actually chosen a niche market within a niche market – they make the equipment for floorball goalkeepers. Andis Blinds, the founder of the company and also one of the best floorball goalkeepers in Latvia, first made unique kneepads for himself and is now exporting the equipment to 30 countries. Andis is especially proud of the fact that his equipment is worn by the goalkeeper of the Sweden national team – the best in the world. www.blindsave.com

PAA

POMPIDOO Rising Star. Pompidoo is a maker of camerabags-cum-stylish-handbags. They export their cases-handbags to 27 countries and are trying to establish themselves in a market where 30 million cameras are sold annually in Europe alone.

However, in 2008, creator Irina Kuzmina, a photographer herself, felt she was entering non-existing territory. www.pompidoo.com

Red Jacket. The PAA story begins with the company’s founder, Pēteris Treicis, who has an insatiable desire for constructing things. He started with model airplanes and, in the early 90s, Pēteris serendipitously came up with an idea to create a bath and sold his first model a few months later. PAA is a player in the “rational luxury” market, their baths, sinks and bathroom furniture stand out by virtue of their complete and ergonomic design and aim to please buyers sensitive to aesthetics looking for alternatives to luxury brands. www.paabaths.com

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PROTAGONIST

The Icela

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ander

KAROLIS VYŠNIAUSKAS Högni Egilsson, one of Iceland’s most productive musicians, pours us some wine and lets us into his creative space. GusGus and Hjaltalín weren’t enough for him, so he has started working on a solo project – HE. But, for the love of God, don’t call him Scandinavian.

Not calling him Scandinavian isn’t that easy. If there’s one person that embodies the word Scandinavia – it’s Högni. Long blond hair, luxuriant beard, powerful shoulders and art on his mind.

From Viking history to contemporary Nordic culture – Högni is representative of everything all at once. He understands it himself and doesn’t pretend that isn’t the case. He views his own image in a rather ironic light. “I hope our conversation will be calm, I don’t like rushing through conversations. I’d like to offer you some wine – like a True, Hospitable Nord,” says the smiling Högni as he opens a bottle of red wine.

A hospitable Nord. But not Scandinavian. As you move further away from the Nordic countries, the semantic differences between these two terms seem less and less important. However, to Högni, they are fundamental in understanding your identity.

“I don’t identify myself as a Scandinavian. To me, Scandinavia is Sweden, Norway and Denmark.

And I’m from Iceland. I can introduce myself as a Scandinavian for diplomatic reasons, I have nothing against Scandinavia – I like the successful welfare system over there. But Iceland is a separate country. Yes, for a long time, we were ruled over by kings from Norway and Denmark but in 1944, we got our independence. Icelandic culture is completely unique. From the poetry to the volcanoes – for the last thousand years, we have been living on this island and moulding a separate identity. And that’s why I ain’t no f***ing Scandinavian.”

I’m speaking with Högni in Vilnius, behind the scenes of the Theatre Arena. This evening, he will be performing here as a member of GusGus, Iceland’s most important electronic music act.

They also have a unique connection to Lithuania: they have had seven shows here in the last seven years. No foreign musicians of that calibre visit Lithuania as often as GusGus do. And their shows are always packed.

The fact that GusGus come from Iceland is one of the main reasons responsible for this phenomenon. And not just because Lithuanians are the second biggest minority group in Iceland (the Polish diaspora takes the top spot). From Björk and Sigur Rós to Of Monsters and Men, Emilíana Torrini and múm – the Icelandic music scene is doing very well, bearing in mind that this is a country of 300,000 people. That’s the size of Kaunas. Iceland is home to more than very wellknown bands – the Iceland Airwaves festival is one of the most fashionable in the world and, this year, hosted Caribou, The Flaming Lips and The Knife. However, Icelanders don’t always man-

Högni with GusGus member Biggie at N WIND photo shoot.

Photo by Visvaldas Morkevičius

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age to get tickets in time – a lot of the tickets are bought by music tourists from places like New York and London.

Because of its remoteness and unique culture, Iceland is an often mythologised nation. Still, that is why it is also one of the most interesting countries in Europe. The simple fact of being from Iceland can automatically pique the interest of listeners and has a similar effect to phrases like “an underground artist from New York” or “a techno act from Berlin”.

I played it for about half an hour, then I felt much better

However, being from Iceland also entails being labelled as such and having that label follow you around wherever you go – whether you like it or not. Högni admits that’s true, but he doesn’t see it as a problem. “If I was from France or Germany, it would be different. Daft Punk is Daft Punk, they’re not some guys from France.” But you need to understand that Iceland’s situation is completely different. We were always separated from the rest of the world, geographically. We were the ones who listened to stories about other countries, but no one had heard our stories. Now everything has changed: Iceland has become a country whose stories other people listen to.”

Högni does his part in ensuring that people have something to say about Iceland. Hjaltalín, which he founded ten years ago with some of his likeminded friends, is a key group on the country’s indie music scene and they’ve played in Denmark’s Roskilde, the UK’s Latitude and Hungary’s Sziget festivals.

Högni joined GusGus three years ago. The band has been going strong since the mid-90s and has undergone a host of lineup changes but they have remained alive and are easily-recognisable not only to everyone in Iceland but also to any real fan of electronic music in the West. Högni first collaborated with GusGus as a producer on several of their tracks before things got a bit more serious. They never officially invited him to join GusGus but music isn’t really a place for official protocol.

Protagonistas

“People liked the GusGus songs that I produced.

And then came the time to introduce those songs at gigs. I asked the group – what are you going to do? “You’ll have to do that s**t yourself.” That’s exactly what they said. I don’t think you can call that an official invite,” says Högni, laughing. He is currently one of the four members of GusGus. He didn’t agree right away. He was, as he says himself, quite cocky at the time and he knew it. Not without reason: Hjaltalín was doing well and were performing together with a symphonic orchestra. Högni was also writing music for choirs and theatre and was also composing modern classical music. He didn’t really like the latest GusGus album at the time. “But I really liked the one before it. And I knew that everyone in the group was great. I was just young and cocky.”

He did agree eventually. And the decision was the right one. Now, Högni is hard at work with GusGus (who recently launched their newest album

– called Mexico – in Mexico) but also has time for both Hjaltalín and his solo project HE. The latter is distinctly personal, 100% the work of Högni and, so far, only a few people have listened to it.

Why did he feel the need for a solo project when he is already a member of two groups? Högni says, “I see myself as an artist creating very different kinds of music both in terms of composition and production. I’m not a producer of one genre. I don’t sit at my computer using applications where everything is pre-prepared. I don’t even like technology very much. Sometimes I’m addicted to my phone, but more often I prefer going outside for walks to contemplate things and feel the natural vibrations.”

During our conversation, Högni’s thoughts keep wandering, he shuffles around in his chair eve-

ry thirty seconds. We temporarily ask everyone backstage – even the members of the band – to leave so that Högni can concentrate. With so many projects and ideas all at once, the ability to calm down and control your thoughts must be one of the most important. How doe he does it?

You need to find musical silence. I hear it when I play the piano. I was at the hotel today and, in the restaurant, there was a piano. We are very busy gigging with GusGus right now, people are happy, it’s very fast-paced – but during all this, I haven’t had time to sit down at the piano. And playing it is key for me. It’s the clay I use to mould all my music. I played it for half an hour and then I felt a lot better. That is when I remember the essential nature of music, the passion. We often understand music like a brand, something for sale. This view is encouraged by the music industry and interest groups. That’s the world we live in. But on a per-

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Everything has turned upside down: now everybody else is listening to Iceland’s stories

GusGus concert in Vilnius. Photo by Tautvydas Stukas

sonal, intimate, human level, music is expression to me. I try to never forget that.”

and give new meaning to songs. Singing opens up a new musical dimension,” says Högni.

– it is, I love every minute of it. But it’s hard work!”

As far as Högni remembers, music has been with him forever. He was already singing as a toddler, then he started playing the violin. That’s another Icelandic phenomenon: of its 300,000 residents, 12,0000 attend music schools and another three thousand sing in choirs. Musicality is a natural instinct to Icelanders, culturally implanted from a young age.

Keeping the human aspect, the primal energy in music, the reason for music’s very existence has always been one of the most important principles driving Högni. He isn’t a mechanical, cold-blooded composer – in his work, the heart often wins over the mind.

A few hours after our conversation, Högni gets on stage with the rest of GusGus and takes pleasure in his hard work. Mexico is the band’s most radio-friendly release. The songs on it are more accessible than their earlier, more experimental work. Of course, it isn’t the symphonic, theatrical or contemporary classical music that Högni likes. GusGus makes classical electronic music that lets him show his crazy side. Högni has many other sides to him so we should be expecting him to come back to Lithuania, maybe with his solo project. We always welcome guests from Iceland.

And from Scandinavia.

“I had no choice, my mum carried me into music in her arms. But I have always loved music and I still love it. When I make music, I try to pass on that pleasure to listeners as well. I also try to do that when I perform. I still like singing. When you sing, you can connect people in a different way than when you produce or compose. There’s a personal connection. And using words, you can tell stories

“Music and art in general are, to me, a form of philosophy, a place for analysis and contemplation. I can’t look at it in a technical sense. Biggie’s [another GusGus member] approach, for example, is much more strict and cold. Which is why I sometimes ask him to shut up. We argue a lot. But that happens in a bands. It’s part of the job. I don’t want to be modest, I think being a musician is hard.

But that doesn’t mean that doing it isn’t fun

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Constellation for the Evelina Ozola, architect and urbanist, editor of FOLD It would be exaggerated to say that Riga is now a vibrant and adventurous city. The distances between small islands of pleasing spaces, events and things are still too big, but they are beginning to form a bright constellation across an otherwise greyish field. A constellation that the urban dweller can comfortably navigate to keep the feeling of a small, pulsating metropolis for a little longer.

This has been an exceptionally good year for Riga. The status of the European Capital of Culture has let us taste life as it is in a metropolis where cultural events are diverse and plentiful and visits by international art, music and film stars are a frequent occurence. Some of these events have triggered new movements in neighbourhoods and communities, while others have lead to a newly found appreciation of our cultural heritage of the 20th century.

2014 will also be marked as the year when the construction of the most important public building of the last couple of decades, the National Library of Latvia, was finally completed, and thousands of people united in a human chain to move books across the river Daugava to the new building on its left bank. After a lengthy hiatus in the urban dining and drinking scene, this summer new restaurants, cafes and bars restarted popping up again, bringing more style and liveliness to the city. Finally, the end of 2014 has gifted us with a proper international film festival, which Riga was missing since the sad passing of Arsenāls.

Where technical and creative minds meet

National Library of Latvia

Subject

The iconic building that the whole nation was patiently looking forward to for more than 20 years has now opened its doors for visitors. Designed by the only Latvian–born starchitect Gunnar Birkerts, it is a marriage of modernist ideals and poetic metaphors; a grandiose glass and steal mountain during the day and a warmly radiating castle of light during nighttime. The library is frequented by those interested in books and exhibitions or looking for a quiet place to work, while the outdoor plaza has quickly earned fame as a great skate spot. www.lnb.lv Photo by Indriķis Stūrmanis

The spacious co–working premises on the corner of Brīvības and Dzirnavu street, entitled The Mill, are home to some of the most stellar Latvian start–ups, Froont and Sellfy, as well as a cosy venue for lectures, meet–ups and conferences.

The team of FOLD is an occassional resident too, with one of the members, Sandijs Ruļuks, being the grandfather of The Mill. Drop by on a Thursday or Friday evening, and you’ll surely find a tech or design related talk. The famous design critic Alice Rawstorn, architect Willem–Jan Neutelings and web developer Jeremy Keith have all recently lectured here. Together with its more tech–oriented older brother TechHub Riga, The Mill has significantly contributed to the development of Riga’s start–up community and co–working culture. facebook.com/millriga riga.techhub.com Logo by Monika Grūzīte

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urban dweller. Riga Modern living In 2014, Modernists magazine, created by the experienced editor Ieva Zībārte, strengthened its position as the most reliable guide to stylish and intelligent living in the Baltics. It has set a high bar both content– and layout–wise. Just before the Christmas shopping panic Modernists has become a physical address as well — a design, book and wine store in an upcoming neighbourhood of Riga. modernists.lv

Look at the stars There has been a lot of discussion about why it is so difficult to maintain an international film festival in Riga, and the city has not seen a red carpet since the beloved Arsenāls retired. This year, the teams of several niche film festivals have joined forces to create Latvia’s largest film event to date — Riga International Film Festival. Taking place on December 2–12, it has put together an exciting programme of the most remarkable films from Europe and Latvia, as well as a strong industry section. Even if it’s a star that will fade soon, it will surely add to the cultural buzz in Riga, educate the local filmgoers and energise the Latvian film industry. rigaiff.lv Logo by Zigmunds Lapsa

A robust grand cafe Vest is a hip city bar, dressed in grey inside and out, so that it becomes more of an urban sculpture that an actual building. The bar’s monochrome suit is the idea of young architect Ints Menģelis. The opening of Vest marks a new era in Riga’s eating, drinking and socialising scene: we no longer need bright colours to show that we’re stylish; we are finally ready to share a large table with complete strangers; and from fixies we have moved on to motorbikes. Our love for good coffee, thanks to the host — star barista Ingemārs Dzenis — has only grown stronger. facebook.com/VestRiga Photo by Ints Meņģelis

Art on the street Blank Canvas street art festival was one of those European Capital of Culture events that changed Riga’s streetscape permanently. The city was taken by storm — in just a few days, 10 large murals were created, including wo’ks by such street art legends as ROA and MTO. The festival has at least partly rede’med the local street art culture and given the artists the much needed confidence boost to become more visible and even act as agents for neighbourhood regeneration. www.blankcanvas.lv Photo by Kaspars Kursišs

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Know the heroes

About FOLD

An interesting trend of 2014 is design heritage revival projects — it seems like just now we’ve realised that there is an aesthetic value in the works of our predecessors. Design studio Asketic together with the brand Miesai launched a project inspired by Ansis Cīrulis, one of the most notable Latvian graphic artists of the 20th century, but the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design started a collaboration with the fashion brand QooQoo on a clothing line Timeless that uses the colourful imagery from artworks of the museum’s collection. Hopefully this will lead to even more interesting discoveries and fruitful collaborations. miesai.com/cirulis shop.qooqoo.lv/collections/all/museum Photos by Miesai, QooQoo, Museum of Decorative Arts and Design

FOLD is an online platform that showcases the best in creative industries in Latvia, both in Latvian and in English. FOLD was launched in April 2013 as a merger of three long-lived design blogs. fold.lv Photo by Andej Strokin

WHERE TO START: STARS

TEMA

Culture shines in Riga, but what twinkles for us at the dark December night? The sky is divided into 88 constellations, 63 of which are visible in Lithuania. The Polaris star (also known as the North star) isn’t the brightest, but it hangs at the same height in the Northern sphere, so it is a perfect guide for a journey around the sky at night.

It’s easy to spot Polaris if you extend the line of the two side stars in the Ursa Major constellation four times. It is the last one of the seven less bright Ursa Minor stars. On the opposite side of the Ursa Major from the Polaris star you will see Cassiopeia constellation. It’s five stars form a letter W. Lead your eye the same direction and you will find two impressive constellations of December sky – Andromeda and Perseus. These two are best seen in the evening, in the East, high up in the sky. December is the first month of their journey through the visible sky for the Northerners.

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HOUSE OF NAIVE

Traditional crafts meet modern design – from Lithuanian linen and wool scarves, coats by Renata Mikailionytė and blouses by Juozas Statkevičius to chocolate bars by Chocolate Naive.

Get it at the House of Naive boutique, Didžioji g. 38, Vilnius.

UNDER MY ROOF

The NON leather purse is a stylish and essential accessory.

Price: €86.89.

Get it at the Lithuanian Design Block, Boho Chic, Moustache, Garden and Wapsva boutiques and online at www. undermyroof.eu.

CHRISTMAS DESIGN MARKET DECEMBER 20–21th SATURDAY–SUNDAY 12-6 PM

TIE KEPĖJAI BAKERS

Delicious Christmas decorations for cosy homes and merry sweet tooths.

Price: from €2.90.

Get it at the Tie Kepėjai studio, Tilto g. 6, Vilnius.

Gift Vane

NAKED BRUCE

Scarlet leggings, made so that you can experience the combination of style and sweet nakedness.

Price: €66.

Get it at the Baltas Miškas, Boho Chic and Koko boutiques and online at www.nakedbruce.com.

SOFOKLIS PUBLISHERS

From Andy Warhol to Mick Jagger to Queen Liz to Gandhi’s letters – an album illustrated with authentic photographs and facsimiles.

Price: €13.

Get it online at www.sofoklis.lt.

ane

DOVANOJA N WIND x MOTHER ELEGANZA

DOVANOJA N WIND x BUKETAI

Vane

DOVANOJA N WIND x MOTHER ELEGANZA

MIUTTO.COM

Memorable pieces by Lithuanian jewellers all in one place.

Price: from €53.58.

Get it online at www.miutto.com.

MARCH

These light reflecting buttons will revitalise your favourite coat while making it shine like a Christmas tree.

Price: €12 (MAXI, 4 buttons); €10 (MINI, 4 buttons).

Get it at the Lithuanian Design Block shop.

HAPPEAK says – travel the world and find yourself.

In the same place but in another way!

YOU & OIL

Skin care products containing only ecological cold-pressed oils and essential oils.

Price: from €7.82.

Get it at the biggest Rimi supermarkets, GO9 and online at www.youandoil.lt.

ane JUPĖ

For products by Hope, shoes and clothes by Humanoid and French jewellery by Vanrycke. Take advantage of the 50% discount and free giftwrapping until Christmas.

Get it at the Jupė boutique, Gaono g. 1, Vilnius

BÜTEGA BOUTIQUE

This sparkling floral composition goes well with an elegant dress on a special occasion.

Price: €30.

Get it at the Bütega boutique, Stiklių g. 18, Vilnius.

TADAM

“Dessert for your eyes” – conceptual culinary creations for your eyes and neck. Treats of the everyday and gourmet varieties decorated with precious metals and transformed into an elegant part of your outfit.

Price: from €69.50.

Enquire at tadam@tadamdesign.com

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FESTIVAL AS A Karolis Vyšniauskas

Lithuania is spoiled for choice when it comes to film festivals, with some months even having more than one at a time. However, the most important event in the region actually takes place in Tallinn. So which is better: a plethora of smaller festivals or a single A-class one? What do fans of cinema in Lithuania and Estonia think?

Complaining about an excessive number of cultural events is the very definition of a first world problem. However, the abundance of film festivals in Lithuania has a side effect: instead of uniting and becoming internationally influential, festivals end up scrapping over viewers in their own back yard.

Estonia took a different road and nurtured one small festival into a monumental event, namely Tallinn’s Black Nights Film Festival or PÖFF (Tallinna Pimedate Ööde Filmfestival). First held in 1997, the festival aimed to introduce Estonians to Nordic cinema. Since then, it has grown into one of the most important film events in the Nordic region. This year, the festival received accreditation placing it among the ranks of the world’s other A-class festivals, such as Cannes, Berlin, Venice and San Sebastian. In 2013, the Black Nights Festival hosted 775,000 viewers and screened 551 films. That same year, the festival was attended by over 500 journalists and film industry specialists.

SUBJECT

“PÖFF started out as a small festival. The first few years were hard – it was the end of the 90s, people were short on money and the tradition of going to the cinema, rather than watching films on TV at home, had been forgotten since the 70s.

But over time, the festival grew in terms of both quality and quantity,” says Emilie Toomela, a film critic from Estonian film magazine Müürileht. She especially appreciates the fact that the festival screens films from different countries. “What do we know about Greek or Czech cinema? What do we know about the countries themselves, oth-

er than tourist information and news about the financial crisis? In my opinion, cinema is one of the most powerful ways to tell stories. Black Nights allowed the people of Estonia to better understand the cultures of other countries.”

PÖFF’s expansion has also had a negative impact – young filmmakers are finding it harder and harder to make it onto the festival’s main programme. Their films usually go to the festival’s little brothers: the animated film festival “Animated Dreams”, the children and youth film festival Just Film and the student and short film festival Sleepwakers. “The more PÖFF grows, the harder it is to find a place for young filmmakers because the competition is stronger,” explains Emilie.

Journalist and filmmaker Jorė Janavičiūtė has visited both the festival in Tallinn and many of Lithuania’s film festivals. She believes the success of the Black Nights festival can be explained by the emotional significance of the festival and not just the high-quality films on offer. Tallinn has been successful in creating a myth around the festival, something Lithuanian festivals haven’t managed to do. “The atmosphere in this festival has a certain charm: films, films, films and after the films – dark and windy Tallinn, cosy bars and festival parties that aren’t too big, where you can find interesting and useful contacts. The Black Nights Film Festival takes place at the end of November, during the darkest nights of the year.

Only the cinema screens are there to light them up,” says Jorė. “The festival organisers also make use of the city’s cinematographic experience – some of the scenes in Tarkovsky’s Stalker were filmed in Tallinn. The last time I was at the festival was in 2012 and the journalists’ meeting place and workspace was called the Stalker Lounge and

it was set up in the neighbourhood where some of the scenes in Stalker were filmed.”

The mystery surrounding it is one of the main reasons why the Tallinn Film Festival has established itself as a significant event for people in the film industry. “Black Nights has become a meeting place for cinematographers from the East and West and the Nordic and Baltic countries. Lithuanian festivals missed this opportunity. On the other hand, Tallinn is a more convenient place geographically,” explains Jorė. And adds that Lithuanian festivals are starting to move in a similar direction: “After last year’s Vilnius Film Festival it looks like this particular festival has made a real effort to improve and is now hot on the heels of Tallinn in terms of the number of industry representatives it attracts and in terms of its cosiness. One thing Vilnius is lacking is a more obvious overseas-oriented image to attract members of the films industry on a regular basis. The trip to Vilnius should become an annual event to them.”

One big festival can monopolise the festival scene, according to Vida Ramaškienė, the director of Vilnius International Film Festival, Lithuania’s biggest film festival and the Black Nights festival’s biggest local competitor. “In Estonia, the Black Nights festival gets more attention on the national level but that means the viewer suffers. People in Lithuania have a much wider field to choose from throughout the year. After the Black Nights, Estonians have no alternatives for another year.” Estonians don’t want their festival to have a monopoly, either. “That would ruin the healthy competition between festivals. Even in such a small country like Estonia, there have to be other festivals,” says Emilie Toomela. But, in her opinion, the number of small festivals is suf-

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MYTH

One of Lithuania’s most influential film critics, Živilė Pipinytė, notices a different emerging tendency: attention during film festivals often centres on inconsequential matters – red carpets, stars posing for photographs, things happening behind the scenes but not the films themselves.

As she pointed out in her article in the October edition of the magazine Kinas, festivals are becoming victims of their own success: if you want to receive sufficient funding and be taken seriously, you have to screen as many films as possible, hold as many events and invite as many stars as possible. Festivals now function according to the principles of mass production.

Photo by Ahto Sooaru

ficient. Even though the Black Nights is Tallinn’s signature event, Estonian viewers can find niche festivals like HÕFF, the horror and fantasy film festival. “Judging by the atmosphere and the crazy parties – that one is definitely my favourite,” recommends the Estonian film critic.

Nevertheless, Estonia doesn’t have the wide variety of festivals that Lithuania does. Maybe we should embrace that? The director of Vilnius Film Festival sees more benefits. “All festivals, from festivals for children to documentary festivals, have a common goal – to educate and introduce people to the most interesting films in the world,” says Vida Ramaškienė. “The number of festivals is determined by demand. If people didn’t go, no one would organise them. The number of people attending festivals is growing and so is their curiosity and desire to meet and talk to the films’ creators. You can feel the increasing popularity of both Lithuanian and foreign independent cinema.” What about competition? V. Ramaškienė has a positive attitude and views it as a driving force.

Don’t forget the viewer – only the most hardened cinephile can follow the developments of every small film festival, the amount of information is too much for the average cinema fan. “Having more to choose from can’t be bad. But it’s also true that it may be difficult to choose from the various options,” according to Austė Zdančiūtė, a curator of independent cinema working with the festival of French cinema Žiemos Ekranai [Ecrans d’Hiver]. The sheer number of festivals means that organisers have to find their target viewer.

“The cultural life of today is so fragmented that you need to segment it in order to understand why you are organising it – wanting to showcase a film to as many people as possible is not

enough. It is more important for a film to inspire 100 people rather than be seen and subsequently forgotten by a thousand people with little interest in it,” says the curator, not measuring everything according to economic benefit.

There is one virtue of having a large number of festivals, but it that virtue is of key significance.

“Festivals allow people to see films not shown in cinemas,” says Živilė. “This may even be unique to Lithuania because in the rest of Europe, cinemas often screen the winners of the main festivals and also rerelease classic films. As for us – it’s the opposite, these things are seen as unnecessary. Austė Zdančiūtė agrees. Lithuania is a small market, so showing certain films simply isn’t worth it. “Sometimes three screenings are enough for a film to be seen by everyone it may appeal to. A small film festival is the only place where those three screenings can be held,” according to Austė.

The take-home message? Lithuanian film festivals are necessary for Lithuanian viewers themselves, so that they can experience more than a cursory viewing of The Transformers. Poring over festival brochures trying to pick out the gems out of the tens of films on offer is a price worth paying. And if seeing the stars on the screen isn’t enough and you want to feel the world of cinema breathing down your neck – Tallinn is only a bus ride away, a few hours to the North.

Major film festivals in Lithuania

Žiemos Ekranai [Winter Screens] – French cinema. 23rd January – 9th February Vokiško Kino Dienos [The Days of German Cinema]. 26th February – 26th March Vilnius International Film Festival. 19th March – 2nd April Kreivės [Curves] – LGBT+ film festival. 21–28th August Baltijos Banga [Baltic Wave] – International film festival in Nida. 23–30th August Vilnius Documentary Film Festival. 18–28th September Kaunas International Film Festival. 24th September – 5th October EDOX – Documentary film festival in Anykščiai. 3–5th October Vilnius Film Shorts – Short film festival. 9–12th October Lenkų Kino Savaitė [Polish Cinema Week]. 15–21th October AD HOC: Inconvenient Films – Human rights film festival. 22–30th October Scanorama – European film festival. 6–23rd November Tindirindis – Animated film festival. 25th November – 1st December

Major film festivals in Estonia

Docpoint – Tallinn documentary film festival. 30th January – 2th February World Film – World film festival. 14–21st March HÕFF – Horror and fantasy film festival. 24–27th April Pärnu – International documentary film festival, held since 1987. 14–27th July tARTuFF – Romantic film festival. 4–9th August PÖFF – Tallinn’s Black Nights. Estonia’s most important film festival. 14–30th November

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GIEDRĖ STABINGYTĖ, branding bureau BLACK SWAN BRANDS Imagination and Stars are the themes dominating the second and third issues of N WIND. BYREDO is an entity that combines the two. What I find interesting about the Stockholm based fragrance house and its founder Ben Gorham is the phenomenon of the birth of a brand celebrity. Selected extracts from astrophysical theory about the birth of stars can make for a great guide on finding success and creating a strong brand.

THE BIRTH OF THE STAR OF BYREDO

Gravitational force. Gravity is the force that pulls the gases within a nebula together into a single entity. The contracting nucleus becomes bound by gravity and, if you wanted to break that nucleus, you would need more and more additional energy. Harnessing this energy is of paramount importance for the birth of our inner stars.

Ben Gorham’s gravitational energy is the creation of powerful emotional transformations. “I was drawn by the immense power of fragrance to trigger memory and evoke powerful emotions.” The conversation with perfumer Pierre Wulff was about longing for his father, who had left the family when Ben was young, and the anatomy of his father’s fragrance. Ben wanted to create the archetypal paternal fragrance. His first steps were to create candles. This tall, impressive, tattooed man, used to using his hands to fight for position on the court, was now creating scented candles. “I googled how to do it, bought the glasses from IKEA, the first candles didn’t even have any labels.” However, the creator “switched on” his gravitational force.

M/MINK – a collaboration between BYREDO and art and design partnership M/M, inspired by the Oriental calligraphy.

Personal nebula. Stars are formed from nebula. It only appears to be homogenous – the cold interstellar material fragments into smaller pieces. Don’t many of us feel that way – like a nebula, slowly acquiring or changing forms, trying different things with real stars shining around us?

Internal energy has to find a way to co-occur with a more powerful energy within action field. The fragrance industry is an industry of imagination. According to Rimantė Budrytė–Kvietkauskienė, author of the Minerva blog: “Each smell that we experience with the assistance of sensory cells is processed and identified by the brain, which is then associated with the person’s experiences, arousing memories and creat-

The flagship store in Stockholm is the illustration of creator’s idea that simplicity can be sophisticated.

Subject

Before BYREDO, it seems Ben Gorham’s personality was moulded by independent and unconnected experiences. His multicultural background: Indian mother, Scottish-Canadian father, childhood in Stockholm and, later, a longing for his father, youthful experiences and studies in New York, then studies in business, politics and interior design in Toronto. A return to Stockholm, a professional career in basketball (Ben’s stature is impressive), disappointment, studies in visual arts while working in construction and a shopping centre and an obsession with painting. Until.

Until a fateful meeting with French perfumer Pierre Wulff.

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Ben sets perfumers visual briefs

BYREDO continued its partnership with M/M and, through it, Ben met the photographer duo Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin. This resulted in the creation of the perfume “1996”, which is inspired by the photo “Kristen 1996” and reflects its duality, combining juniper berries and black pepper with patchouli, vanilla and other aromas.

Ben calls his project Insensatus with famous Belgian scientist and artist Carsten Höller his most amazing collaboration. It’s difficult to describe Insensatus: it’s a toothpaste that has a base substance and three substances that evoke dreams related to the male, female and infantile worlds. It was released as a limited edition of 25.

According to R. Budrytė–Kvietkauskienė, Ben Gorham, the creator of BYREDO, fused his exotic origin with Scandinavian aesthetics and created a unique Indo-Scandinavian style in perfumery.

ing emotions. The imagination is the (visual) expression of previous experiences in novel ways.”

Ben Gorham’s gravitational force united the fragments that were, until then, scattered – his IndoScandinavian background, a craving for emotions and a desire to compete together with an internal and physical energy. “Exoticness and intensity harmoniously paired with minimalism is BYREDO’s calling card,” states the author of Minerva. BYREDO’s creator has, during numerous interviews, said: “I’m not a nose.” Ben founded the company in 2006 and has been working with professional perfumers Jerome Epinette and Olivia Giacobetti. Having realized his power, Ben created a process that is unique in the industry – he sets visual briefs: “I make them feel certain emotions. Using words, music, poetry, images and raw materials.”

Longitudinal studies show that young stars don’t like being alone. They form clusters that range in size from tens of stars to millions. An important factor determining the success of BYREDO is Ben Gorham’s successful collaboration with creators and other brands. Ben created the logo with the help of his friend Moses Voight, who has worked with the Swedish fashion brand Acne. That collaboration attracted the Parisian art and design partnership M/M, who collaborate with the likes of Björk and Balenciaga. They asked Gorham to create a fragrance inspired by Japanese calligraphy. The fruit of their collaboration is the perfume M/MINK, which contained over 50 times more adoxal than you would usually find in a fragrance. Ben says it’s “an element of comedy or irony”.

The future existence of a star depends mostly on its mass. The universe doesn’t like stars that are either too small or too big.

In terms of a brand’s potential to grow, the idea has to be bigger than the category of the product. Ben Gorham calls himself an outsider who doesn’t assume just one role but employs his creative vision in different fields.

The company’s founder has ensured the growth of the company – the BYREDO brand is in the markets of 25 countries and sales in 2013 amounted to $30m. His office is on the premises of where the Swedish national post office used to be! Ben Gorham has said on more than one occasion that he was never afraid of expanding. In 2013, shares in BYREDO were acquired by Manzanita Capital. Ben sees the coming of a strategic investor as an opportunity to experiment in new categories. This year, a new line of leather accessories is planned for release. Is there a danger of drifting away from his gravitational force? Publicly, at least, they say the company’s unique creative processes remain the same.

Sources: www.byredo.com, The New York Times Style Magazine, Business of Fashion and others.

In Lithuania and Estonia you could try and buy BYREDO fragrances at Crème de la Crème boutique stores.

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BYREDO photos

1996 fragrance mirrors the duality of the photograph by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin.

Domantas Širvinskas

31/12

29/11/14 – 09/01/15

27/12 WHAT? Christmas fair WHERE? Riga, Latvia WHEN? 29th November 2014 – January 9th 2015 WHY? Christmas has taken over the Latvian capital. A festive market with a bundle of smells, delicious food, Latvian-designed products and good cheer. A great chance to pay a visit to the neighbours and hear what festive words sound like when they’re stressed on the first syllable. www.vzt.lv

25/12–27/12

WHAT? Christmas-themed concert “Saulės kelionė” WHERE? Vilnius, Kaunas, Šiauliai WHEN? 25–27th December WHY? A musical story updated for the festive season about the journey of the most important star through the signs of the zodiac. Aistė Smilgevičiūtė and the band Skylė will be your hosts during the trip – you’ll be surprised about how well universal cosmology goes with the Baltic conception of the universe. www.sauleskelione.lt

WHAT? Christmas music week. “Permainos” WHERE? Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society, Vilnius WHEN? 27th December WHY? One of John F. Kennedy’s favourite pieces was Samuel Barber’s emotional Adagio, which you may have heard during many a dramatic film scene. This and many other now famous classical pieces will be performed by Gediminas Gelgotas’ NI&Co orchestra at the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society. An original composition by Gelgotas will round off the concert and connect its various pieces. www.filharmonija.lt

5-12-19/12

The Wind 17-19/01/15

18/12

WHAT? Christmas concert by Leon Somov & Jazzu WHERE? Congressional Palace, Vilnius WHEN? 18th December WHY? The ambitious duo, fresh from their autumn tour invites you to a traditional Christmas concert. The group has muted the colours and effects and the main accents fall on the music and an intimate connection with the audience. www.facebook.com/leon.somov.jazzu

WHAT? New Year’s Eve party “Tim Burton in Wonderland“ WHERE? LOFTAS WHEN? 31st December WHY? Loftas’s 5th birthday and also the most colourful New Year’s Eve party in Vilnius. The dress code – Tim Burton characters (Alice, Edward Scissorhands, Charlie from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd, maybe even the Red Queen). The order of the evening? A special festive programme prepared by Loftas. www.menufabrikas.lt

WHAT? “Zooetics” series of lectures WHERE? Kaunas University of Technology WHEN? 5, 12, 19th December WHY? During the lecture, the crisis in human relationships with the environment will be discussed. Visit if you think we have entered a new era during which man’s effect on the Earth’s ecosystem has become fateful. The speakers will introduce their work combining scientific and artistic theory and research methods that cross the boundaries of conventional disciplines. www.j.mp/zooetika

WHAT? Vilnius Comedy Fest WHERE? Various locations, Vilnius WHEN? 17–19th January WHY? He who laughs in January, laughs hardest. The Kitas Kampas improvisational theatre team with Audrius Bružas at the helm are organising the first edition of the international comedy festival Vilnius Comedy Fest. I guess you already know what you’ll be spending your first euros on. www.vilniuscomedy.lt

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23/11–15/12

21/08/14–18/01/15

01/07–31/12

Vane ind

WHAT? Resort fashion exhibition WHERE? Jūrmala, Latvia WHEN? 1st July – 31st December WHY? Jūrmala, the Latvian summer capital is showing off its fashion sense in the winter as well. The clothes worn in seaside towns is a fashion movement in itself and has been going strong since the 1920s – inspired by the beaches of France and England. This nostalgic exhibition will explore the developments in Latvian seaside fashion. www.facebook.com/collections.lv

04-08/01/15

23/11–15/12

WHAT? Swedish Sin exhibition WHERE? Stockholm, Sweden WHEN? 23rd November – 15th December WHY? An exhibition about that sinful combo: sex and alcohol. Desire, shame, repression and liberation will be explored, along with their role in Sweden’s history. A topic to get you warm you during the cold winter nights. www.spritmuseum.se

WHAT? #snapshot contemporary photography exhibition.

WHERE? Helsinki, Finland WHEN? until 18th January 2015 WHY? Social network photography can now be called a separate field within the visual arts. The exhibition will feature the history of the selfie, amateur photos of important events, works by famous artists and, of course, selfie workshops. www.j.mp/snapshot_helsinki

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WHAT? Rjukan ice festival WHERE? Rjukan, Norway WHEN? 20–22nd February 2015 WHY? What do the Norwegians do when their amazing waterfalls freeze over? Climb them of course! Lectures, training sessions, competitions; if you love to climb up ice – this is the place to be. www.rjukanicefestival.com

14/11/21–15/01/10 WHAT? Lux Helsinki light festival WHERE? Helsinki, Finland WHEN? 4–8th January 2015 WHY? Frosty Helsinki will play host to a festival of lights at the beginning of 2015. The artists of Helsinki have been fending off the darkness with similar events for the past 20 years. This year, many of the installations and lights will be interactive. And did you know that the United Nations have named 2015 the year of light? www.luxhelsinki.fi/en

WHAT? Tallinn Christmas Market WHERE? Tallinn, Estonia WHEN? November 21st – January 10th WHY? The Town Hall Square in Tallinn is transformed into Christmas Wonderland for a month. Maybe it’s worth to arrange a meeting with the friends from all over the region for a festive drink? www.christmasmarket.ee

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Images by organisers

WHAT? Estonia’s Christmas Jazz Festival WHERE? Various towns and cities in Estonia WHEN? 23rd November – 15th December WHY? Christmas and jazz go together like cinnamon and apple pie. So this Estonian jazz festival with its international programme is worth your time. The organisers are especially proud of nabbing Grammy-winner Richard Bona and bossa nova maestro Paula Morelenbaum. www.jazzkaar.ee

Young Star Karolis Vyšniauskas

When Reykjavik native Thora Bjorg Helga was offered the lead in Metalhead (Málmhaus in the original Icelandic), she couldn’t even play the guitar. Now she can solo with her eyes closed and was awarded Best Actress at the Icelandic film awards. Our meeting took place in Vilnius.

Metalhead is a film that could only have been born in the north: it tells the story of a girl who hates her life in a small Icelandic village and joins her brother in his love of metal music. She goes as far as playing guitar by his grave, setting fire to a church and running away from home. Only to come back home, defeated by a more traditional model of living but happy nonetheless.

The film pokes fun at a series of stereotypes about metal music but, at the same time, it’s a serious drama about a young person’s rebellion and attempts to find her identity in a small community. Producer Ragnar Bragason was once a metalhead himself. Cementing the film’s place as a hit are the awards it has received. Not counting Thora’s award, 7 others were bestowed upon it at last year’s Icelandic film awards. The film has also visited film festivals in places like Scotland, Brazil and South Korea.

Lithuanian viewers had an opportunity to see Metalhead at the Scanorama film festival, where Thora herself introduced it.

Before the film, you couldn’t play guitar and didn’t listen to metal. How did you react when you were chosen for the lead?

I had just finished filming my first film – The Deep.

The director of Metalhead called me and asked if I wanted to meet in a cafe. He said: “I’ve written a script and I want you to play the lead.” I said “Yes, of course!” I wasn’t expecting it. And then I started learning to play the guitar.

Thora Bjorg Helga by Justė Urbonavičiūtė

ple don’t stop me in the street to ask, “Aren’t you that girl from that film?” Unless they find me by my name on the internet. I definitely got a lot of friend requests on Facebook!

How does Iceland affect you?

Mostly by its size. You’re always close to your family and friends. And you never live in the moment. Because when you go outside, the first person you meet is a friend from kindergarten, or a colleague that you worked with a few years ago.

You feel as if your past is always with you. That has a really big effect on your personality and behaviour. You start thinking that you don’t want to go outside when you’re in a bad mood or with your hair messed up because you’ll meet everyone – from an ex-boyfriend to an ex-teacher. So when you go to a city like New York, you start feeling really free because you don’t know anyone. You get on the metro and no-one around you means anything to you, and you mean nothing to them.

You feel as if your past is always with you

The protagonist in Metalhead wanted to leave her village because she couldn’t stand being there. Do young people in Iceland want to leave?

For a short time – yes. When you spend a long time living with the same people in the same places, you feel the need to get away and experience something new. But many of my friends that have left plan to come back. If they have kids somewhere else, when the kids are really little, they live there. But when their children need to start going to school, they come back to Iceland so that they can start school here.

Reykjavik is a very small town, but there’s a lot going on. Lots of great bands, artists. It’s like a small and cosy Berlin. You can experience city life, but 20 minutes away is some fantastic nature. You have no space in New York. Reykjavik is full of it.

I like this combination of urban life and nature. If we didn’t have it, it would be very boring.

After you role in Metalhead, you received offers to join actual metal bands? Will you consider it?

Probably not at the moment – I’m pregnant. 6 months. facebook.com/metalheadfilm Thora's newest film Autumn Lights premiered in Iceland in November.

First Impression

You won the award for best actress at the Icelandic film awards. How important is that to you?

Don’t forget that Iceland is very small. But it was really great. Especially because female leads are still rare.

Fame in a country the size of Iceland is probably a very unique kind of fame. Did you feel that you became well known after the film?

It’s not difficult to become famous in Iceland.

Of course, there are different levels of fame. But if you want your face to be in the newspapers, you can do it very easily. I definitely didn’t feel that I had become famous. After the film, people found out about me but it was interesting that they didn’t really associate me with my role. Peo-

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A still from Metelhead

Wind of Helsinki Annika Tenho, graphic designer

ly go to: Pacifico (Kallio, Helsinginkatu 15). A huge, filling, veggie-friendly buffet with a DJ. It’s popular yet big, so there’s always space (after little queuing at least).

Tin Tin Tango (Töölö, Töölöntorinkatu 7). A cosy café with laundry machines and Tin Tin posters.

Continental style breakfasts served in dishes.

Sandro’s (Kallio, Kolmas linja 17). Sando’s menu is based on Moroccan cooking and the brunch has plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. And they have pretty plates!

Helsinki is a windy city. Just so you know when you’re packing. It’s windy all the time. Some people like it and some just move further away from the sea. Luckily Helsinki has many ways to make up the not-always-so-pleasant weather circumstances.

Forever breakfast The city isn’t too big, but big enough to have neighbourhoods of very different nature. A symbol of the differences is Pitkäsilta-bridge, which means “the long bridge”. It’s actually not very long, but the name refers to the enormous mental distance between Kallio and Kruunuhaka; the former was a poor workers’ area and now is a lively district with Art Univeristy Campuses and block parties, while the latter was and still is a beautiful and calm Art Nouveau area inhabited mainly by wealthier people.

If you end up having your brunch until the evening and happen to do so in Kallio, you’ll soon notice that the Belleville of Helsinki is quite popular place to spend the evening. And night. Kallio hasn’t reached the level of gentrification when it would be polished and filled with fancy cafés, on the contrary: it’s shabby, cosy and bursts with pubs and places to get a massage.

There are actually so many pubs that I can’t even name favourites, but instead advise thirsty people to head to Vaasankatu-street. If you’d like a soundtrack for your visit, find the Kallio-album by Dalindèo. It’s great, instrumental and descriptive.

I still think one of the best things to do here is to stroll aimlessly around the neighbourhoods and just enjoy the view. In Kaivopuisto there is a big park and gorgeous old embassies. Punavuori and Kaartinkaupunki have design shops and nice antiquarian bookstores. That is where my strolls tend to be particularly aimless because I still manage to get lost there. Two separate street grids cross there and the intersections are simply ridiculous. But it’s really not a bad place to accidentally spend some extra time, there’s for example two of my favourite restaurants Tori (Punavuorenkatu 2) with their famous veggie-burgers and Café Balzac (Iso Roobertinkatu 3-5) with most delicious fresh pastas.

Dusk to dawn in Kallio I live in Hakaniemi, a small area between Kallio and the sea. The most enjoyable things around are: 1. The Hakaniemi market hall, with old wooden counters and fresh groceries. If you’re around at lunch time, try Soppakeittiö (the Soup Kitchen).

Their soups are tasty and often come in brightest colors. Nettle soup is as deep green as can be, while curry-shrimp soup is orange enough to catch flames.

While you have breakfast, your laundry is done events. For instance, twice a year there’s a public cleaning day (Siivouspäivä) and Helsinki turns into a massive flea market when people take their old stuff to parks and streets and sell them out.

2. A coffee roastery who sometimes spreads the aroma of roasted coffee beans all over the neighbourhood.

3. Pengerkatu, my favourite street. It follows such a steep hill that the street is in three levels (hence the name, “penger” means an embankment or terrace) and these terraces with the surrounding buildings create quite a charming space.

4. The number of good brunches available.

I love big breakfasts. Luckily dozens of cafés and restaurants in Helsinki serve brunch in the weekends. I could recommend many, but will narrow it down to three, since these are the ones I regular-

One of my favourite second hand stores is a tiny shop called Wanha Kaarle (Kaarlenkatu 12) in Kallio. To be honest, I never bought a thing there, but the place is fabulous. It’s just two small rooms completely stuffed with colorful objects from 1950-1970. It’s hard to explain its charm and it’s also hard to spot the owner behind all the stuff.

Another outcome of the sustainability blast is Globe Hope. Their designs are made out of used materials such as army textiles, sails and seatbelts. I love their bags because I can carry the whole world in them and they won’t break. Globe Hope has two stores in Helsinki, one close to the cathedral (Aleksanterinkatu 28) and smaller one in Lasipalatsi (Mannerheimintie 22–24, and once you’re there, check out the whole building, it’s beautiful!).

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City Guide

I moved to Helsinki after graduating as a graphic designer in Tampere in 2011. My first job here was at the Comics Center in Arabia (Hämeentie 150, the district has gotten its name from old ceramics factory of Arabia). Finland has a very lively comics scene that’s gone way beyond Donald Duck. Comics are considered a visual art rather than just entertainment. There’s a great bookstore in the comics center, so if you’re curious about alternative comics, head to Arabia.

Something new, something borrowed There are plenty of active eco-conscious people in Helsinki and they have created a scene of second hand shops, retro boutiques and recycling

It is rare for artists to feel the need to keep changing, questioning established artistic conventions or questioning themselves. Such environment is ideal for breeding new ideas and creating new stars of Lithuanian theatre. So where are they?

Shooting Stars ANDRIUS JEVSEJEVAS, theatre critic

tablished artistic conventions – which they had a hand in forming.

On the other hand, this environment is perfect for new ideas, for young directors to spread their wings and for new stars of Lithuanian theatre to be born. So where are they?

“Richard II: post factum” dericted by A. Areima.

Photo by Dmitrijus Metvejevas

I don’t know who first uttered the phrase that Lithuania is best known for basketball and theatre. The Žalgiris team of the 90s, Tamulevičiūtė’s and Nekrošius’s Youth theatre; political battles on the basketball court and acerbic, Aesopic satire on the stage; Marčiulionis and Koršunovas; Sabonis and Banionis... Famous Lithuanian theatre?! Maybe twenty, fifteen, well, maybe ten years ago. But today, the saying sounds somewhat sarcastic.

COMMENT

Cultures undergoing significant social or political change often find themselves under the microscope of the global theatre community. At some point it was the Balkans, or a nostalgic return to Eastern cultures, a good decade ago almost every self-respecting socially-conscious festival was concentrating on the Ukrainian Orange Revolution or Belarus’s Denim Revolution, now it’s the turn of Maidan. And anyway, the biggest, richest civilisations have always taken an interest in the “third world” as a different, more exotic existence. During times of social and political change, Europe also turned its eyes on us and kept a close watch for almost fifteen years.

But today, our heavyweights, having firmly established themselves in Lithuania for eternity and having found a more profitable way of making a living in by no means the strongest theatre market in Europe, are resting on the artistic laurels they have already gathered. Normal and usual: it is rare for artists to feel the need to keep changing, questioning themselves or questioning es-

Right here, it seems: on TV, on the radio, in the press and, of course, on theatre playbills. Artūras Areima and Vidas Bareikis have recently introduced their premieres on Vilnius and Kaunas stages and both are especially active, well-loved by viewers and highly acclaimed by critics. It is their names that you most often hear on peoples’ lips talking about the young hopes of Lithuanian theatre.

What are these young stars talking about? What themes are apparent in their plays, what topics do they explore? Paradoxically, the desire to cause havoc, change the world, destroy the status quo does not feature heavily (except for maybe some of their first plays – but that was a while ago). Quite the opposite – young people at the

eration Y, with all of its contemporary hipster flavour. For example, the last two plays by Areima and Bareikis (the Artūras Areima Theatre’s Ričardas II: post factum and No Theatre’s collective experience Caligula) are like two peas in a pod. Or two pairs of oversized, brightly coloured glasses. Without lenses. For no reason. Without content because content appears incidentally – on its own, just like the setting moon appeared during one of the first viewings of Caligula that, according to the viewers, the title character almost didn’t notice. And what does the moon mean to Caligula? Probably the same thing that the viewers mean to the director – the actors in Bareikis’s play make promises to the viewers, give them tasks and roles before forgetting everything until the middle of the second act – although many viewers don’t even manage to stay until then.

The young newcomers to the stage talk of a generation for whom ideology or an individual worldview are wholly unnecessary. The only important things are form, the function and countless labels attached outside of the theatre; labels that supposedly represent the director’s intellectual input to the play but don’t actually mean anything more than a simple pose. “Theatre movement”, “collective experience” – and that’s saying nothing of the label of “theatre hooligan”; one that he attaches to himself or, alternately, removes dur-

What burning contemporary topics are reflected in their work? I’d say none bottom or the middle of the hierarchy constantly find themselves on the losing side, crushed, made a fool of, with their creative and revolutionary potential completely suppressed.

What burning cultural topics do they explore in their plays? I’d say none. And at the same time, by not discussing anything specific they are embodiments of their generation, the so-called gen-

ing each one of his plays..

Their recent work exhibits no signs of either a movement, or a collective experience or even any kind of hooliganism. No matter how much the directors themselves would like that to be the case, or their fans, or the illiterate and contextually ignorant journalists jumping on the bandwagon, exclaiming: “Lithuanian theatre conventions broken!” or “Play performed in non-traditional space!”

And the critic finds himself sitting in the most traditional of surroundings (because the sur-

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ASK AND LISTEN

Do these young artists have a shot at becoming real stars? I think they do. Their first plays indicate that these directors can have their own individual style, their own language on the stage and they can be acerbic and insightful critics of social order.

So what’s missing? If I knew the recipe for a good play, I would tell you without a moment’s hesitation. For a rather silly reason – I prefer good plays to bad ones. Sadly, there is no recipe. So I can only speculate. With the hope that after many a discovery and, even getting lost along the way, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I think it would be much more useful for both these directors to return to contemporary drama or original dramaturgy, created during rehearsals or even do some social research, maybe explore meeting groups of people on the fringes of society, looking for authentic stories that would help them get a feel of the real pulse of society.

Because as classic dramas or long novels with rich and colourful histories on the stage show – these young artists are still, in terms of the wider discourse, fairly average (which is by no means bad because the number of people possessing the ability to stage even an average, “normal” play in Lithuania is exceedingly small). And if they aspire to reach the top, they will need insatiable curiosity, a great deal more knowledge, the ability to take criticism and to look self-deprecatingly at themselves and that is everything that we have historically lacked in Lithuanian theatre.

Smiltė Bagdžiūnė Photo by Paulius Gasiliūnas

TAUTĖ BERNOTAITĖ It seems inadequate to begin a text about Smiltė with a simple sentence. Because then it may appear that this is an ordinary case. Maybe that’s what people think about models. Because Smiltė Bagdžiūnė is a model. One of the most recognisable faces in Lithuania. But she isn’t simply a model – archetypes are used to make copies, copying Smiltė would be difficult. In November, Smiltė appeared in artist Mark Aerial Waller’s sci-fi films Time Together and Dial-A-Ride. They are short films from an ongoing project introduced at the Hayward gallery in London as part of the MIRRORCITY exhibition. Smiltė is a co-creator of TU-TU lollipops. TU-TU can now be found not only in Lithuanian shops, but has also been chosen as an example of food design in a book in Southeast Asia titled Food Player. As the designer of authentic and pithy ideas, Smiltė herself would be a fine addition to the book.

When was the last time you were a poet?

When I stayed silent.

Which childhood rule should be eternal?

Inviting your friends outside in any weather.

Is creating essential or is being able to switch off just as good?

Everything has already been created by those above us. Being able to just switch off is ideal.

Sometimes it appears that creativity is necessary as a therapeutic process because you

want to remember, not forget, find out, listen or get stuck in the moment.

What do you want to be?

The present.

What is the best use for a person?

Being with other people.

Why does the female form surround us everywhere?

Because the unsolved mystery is frustrating to a point of primitive aggression.

How do you greet others?

Intimately, even when I don’t remember where I know the person from.

What is something you could easily do without but would rather not?

My silk nightgown.

Why do people have tailbones?

I read that it helps people sit down by softening the blow to the back and spine.

Some sugar?

In moderation.

What did you grandmother forbid you from doing?

Making fun of other people’s work and rushing.

What can films do to people?

Never end.

How do you recharge?

Read. Forget. Ask and listen. Look into the eyes of my loved ones. Sleep.

Why is it worth having a winter?

Because of the way it makes nature look, the smell of frozen air, concentration and candles, candles, candles.

Go right around to the corner to…?

To America. To make a friend laugh. To fool yourself.

Which stars shine brightest?

The nearest ones.

Should everybody have an opinion?

It’s like underwear: you have it, but you don’t have to show everyone.

Do you sign off with “Sincerely”?

Sometimes. When I’m in a rush, it’s “Bye”.

Day or night?

Both, the entire globe. Breathe in and breathe out.

What is the most beautiful thing you’ve seen?

A sleeping infant, the faces of museum, theatre, cinema visitors when they get lost in the moment, flames, cell division, the movements of throngs of people in train stations in the capitals of Europe during peak hours, gliders in the air from the inside, undeveloped photos from granddad’s photo film, etc.

What should you do?

Forgive, make up, trust in others.

WINDMILLS

roundings in theatre are defined not by the location in which a play is performed, but the configuration of the spaces occupied by the actors and spectators) and watching two almost identical plays that remind him of at least a hundred others seen previously. One of which should supposedly shock the public because of its directorial choices (which were actually used half a century ago by the teacher that taught his teacher) while the other one believes that if you take some Shakespearean characters, stick some sports caps on them and stuff their pockets full of powdered sugar, they magically become relevant and contemporary. And both are actually working on theatre’s public image more than creating worthwhile theatre. Which is why it’s difficult to write about the plays themselves when they have nothing to do with statements made by the directors in the media.

www.tutu.lt

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In early December, the women of Vilnius were buying cinema tickets en masse – queuing up to watch Lina Plioplyte’s film Advanced Style. Ari Seth Cohen, a street fashion photographer from New York goes around snapping the city’s most stylish older women and writes about them on his blog. The blog’s success later encouraged him to release a book and, at the start of the year, New York native Lina created a documentary about seven of the movement’s most memorable characters.

Much to the surprise of its creators, the film has received a great deal of attention – favourable reviews from the world’s biggest media outlets along with visits to numerous countries and film festivals. “I was making a film for myself with a tentative dream to maybe show it in a cinema one day,” says Lina. “I never imagined that we would travel the world and that it would even be screened at home. The fact that the film will be screened in Lithuania means a lot to me.”

Film’s stylish heroines inspire to live a colourful, free and exciting life.

Photo by Ari Seth Cohen

Old age – the time of your life 2014 is the year of Advanced Style. You’ve been travelling the world and have given countless interviews, but what’s next? Aren’t you tired of it yet?

Not at all, there are so many interesting characters among the older generation, so filming is interesting and you can learn so much from them.

We aren’t planning a second film right now but age is a very interesting and important topic to me so I’m definitely not to abandon it.

Do you think that you will be anything like the people in your film when you get older – unforgettably stylish and full of joie de vivre?

Ha, only if I don’t become jaded and bitter! The protagonists in my film have inspired me to lead a colourful, free and exciting life and that’s what I’m trying to do. Old age now looks like the best age!

Personality box

What is the biggest difference between America and our region?

In America, as the saying goes, anything is possible. People smile more (sometimes the smiles are fake, of course) and that encourages you to have a more positive outlook on life, a more optimistic view of yourself and others – I like it here, you

Once they turn 40, women stop existing completely can do a lot more, instead of saying “no”, people are more inclined to say “yes”. Americans are adventurers at heart and that inspires others to be adventurous. On the other hand, I think Lithuanians are deeper and more well-read, I miss having philosophical debates over beer, which is more common in Lithuania than it is in America.

Recently, feminism has been getting increased attention in popular culture, e.g. Dove’s advertising campaign, Emma Watson’s speech at the UN, the HeForShe movement, Keira Knightley’s actions, the list goes on. What is your take on this?

Feminism, as it is currently defined, is very important to me. By that I mean basic equality with men – in terms of pay and intellectual capacity. I still like it when a man opens the door for me and, obviously, men are capable of lifting heavier weights, but there is still so much gender inequality in the world. For thousands of years, women were oppressed, forced to slave away in kitchens, forced to hide their hair, dress in a certain way or choose certain professions. Today we are pressured to be eternally young and sexy, women on TV are simply objects. There are so many social rules for women and once they turn 40, women stop existing completely, except maybe as mothers. Which is why I find powerful women so inspirational, goddesses that live and create and change the world, leading by exam-

Dovydas Kiauleikis

ple and without letting society dictate how they should act.

How relevant is femininity to you in the modern world? It seems the women in your film embrace it.

What exactly is “femininity”? I try to break social norms when it comes to this because “femininity” is usually a physical description. I prefer being brave enough to live the way you want, with or without femininity. In terms of the film, some women are more feminine than others. Of course, they all want to look good – but who doesn’t?

I think men try to look good, too, just in other ways.

You often post about climate change on your Facebook profile. You are trying to eliminate plastic from your life. Why is that important to you?

Do you think you will emphasise this topic more in your future projects?

Definitely, I’ve been living without single use plastics for over a year, saving the earth and ecology are both very important to me, especially living in America, which is the biggest polluter and producer of waste in the world. I’m planning a film about life without plastic and what we can do to improve the state of the Earth.

A lot of your work is in the areas of fashion and advertising. Fashion often finds itself in a conflicting position when it comes to climate change. Does that ever make you feel guilty?

I buy almost all of my clothes from second hand shops, so I don’t feel any guilt because of that. I feel guilty when I buy coffee and ask them not to put a plastic lid on it, but they do it anyway. Then I feel really bad because I understand that nobody cares about where the waste ends up.

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