Lithuanian cinemas refused to show Hayao Miyazaki’s cartoon

Cinemas in Lithuania refused to show the latest cartoon by the Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki “The Boy and the Bird”. In the statement of the cinemas, which is quoted by the Lithuanian publication LRT, it is indicated that the organization-distributor of the cartoon – the Estonian company Artgene – has ties to Russia. The lecture of Russian film critic Anton Dolin, which he was supposed to give at the premiere of the film in Vilnius, was also canceled.

The authors of the application expressed their suspicion that part of the profits from the rental of the film may go to Russia. “The Lithuanian cinematographic community calls on other Baltic countries to respond to this information and possible harmful actions of Russia in relation to the Baltic economy and film industry, and also not to allow the aggressor state to profit,” the document states.

The details of Artgene’s relations with Russia are not specified. The statement states that on the LinkedIn page of an Artgene representative, he wrote about the experience of organizing the rental of Japanese films in Russia.

The Artgene company – the rights holder of “The Boy and the Bird” in the Baltic countries – reported that it provided evidence that the profit from the rental in the Baltic countries does not go to Russia, and no Russian company is a beneficiary of Artgene. Its representative, Aleksey Bazhin, called the position of Lithuanian cinemas provocative and unfounded.

Film critic Anton Dolyn, whose lecture at the premiere of the cartoon will not be able to take place, also reported that two other events with his participation were also canceled – a lecture on the cinematographic results of the year on December 14 and a screening of the film by the Ukrainian-German director Sergei Loznitsa “Babiy Yar. Context” in Vilnius, December 15.