THE CHILDREN OF THE HOTEL „AMERICA“

In the independence year of 1990, Raimundas Banionis looks back at the insurrectionary “Kaunus’ Spring” of 1972, ushered in by the self-immolation of 19-year-old Romas Kalanta and the subsequently decreed prohibition against taking part in his burial. In the film it is the members of a lovable little chaos-crew, young hippies all burning with enthusiasm for Woodstock and rock’n’roll, that set up house in the ruins of their “hotel” and write letters filled with song requests to Radio Luxemburg, which they listen to in secret. A dream that goes sour: instead of love-ins at campgrounds, fate hands them police stations and KGB interrogations. A sad but cool death song for Soviet Lithuania.