Acid Forest

Synopsis

Tourists from different countries come to see the dead forest, inhabited by the black birds. The forest recalls a nuclear fallout for some of the visitors, while others relate it to Hitchcock’s The Birds. We see the tourists from the cormorants’ perspective, where they look like a curious species exploring the strange landscape.
Gradually, a peculiar story is revealed: there used to be an ancient pine forest, but then several cormorants landed there. Now there are thousands of the birds and they kill the pine trees by...shitting. The human observations and responses to this environment are as multi-layered and bizarre as the history of
the forest itself.

Director Biography

Rugilė Barzdžiukaitė (b. 1983) works as filmmaker and theatre director, based in Lithuania. She completed her MA in Screen Documentary at Goldsmiths, London (2013), BA in Cinematography (2006) and Theatre directing (2008) in Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. In her creative works, Rugile explores the gap between objective and imagined realities, while challenging an anthropocentric way of thinking in a playful way. Prior to Acid Forest, Rugile has directed four short films and two contemporary operas (Have a Good Day! and Sun and Sea), which brought 6 prestigious awards for the creative team and are still touring around the world. Rugile is one of the three artists who will represent Lithuania for the Venice Biennale of Art in 2019.