Arūnas Matelis

Arūnas Matelis, a luminary of Lithuanian cinema, was born in 1961 in the city of Biržai, Lithuania. He has been actively directing films since 1980, with a distinctive focus on documentaries, and has notably made a name for himself with films such as "Before Flying Back to the Earth" and "Wonderful Losers: A Different World", the latter of which received a nomination for Best Documentary at the European Film Awards. Matelis' authorial style is often marked by a unique blend of realism and poetic imagery, providing a profound commentary on the human condition.

A man of deep compassion and vision, Arūnas Matelis' films serve as a mirror to society, showing the beauty in tragedy and the extraordinary in the mundane.