Lesieur, E

English

UCL Discovery

SLOVO, VOL. 27, NO. 1 (SPRING 2015), 36–37.         DOI: 10.14324/111.0954-6839.032  © School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London, 2014.    Kaip mes žaidėme revoliuciją / ‘How We Played the Revolution’ (2012)  Documentary/Historical film, 69 min. Directed and written by GIEDRE ZICKYTE. France and Lithuania: Just A Moment. Language: Lithuanian.   Do not expect this film to be a serious, politically engaged documentary on tense multilateral negotiations by high-level political actors, because as the title suggests this revolution was played. How We Played the Revolution (2012) by Giedre Zickyte introduces  the  viewer  to  the  grassroots  of  the  Singing  Revolution  in  Lithuania through the story of an unprecedented phenomenon in the music history of this small  socialist  republic—the  satirical  rock  band  Antis.  The  band’s  incredibly theatrical  and  grotesque  looks,  combined  with  puzzling  lyrics  subtly  mocking various  aspects  of  the  Soviet  system,  was  the  perfect  mixture  for  the  bored Lithuanian public of the time that had been lulled by the stagnation of the Brezhnev years On New Year’s Eve 1984, a group of architects from Vilnius decided to set up a band bearing the name Antis. How We Played the Revolution starts with the band’s rise to immense popularity and leads up to Lithuania’s withdrawal from the USSR. It combines carefully selected archive material and present-day testimonials from the people  who  were  closely  involved  in  this  extraordinary  theatrical  and  musical project. The film portrays the events of the late 1980s as a game, in which rock music played its own role alongside political leaders of the liberation movement. The film outlines very accurately how thin the limit between innocent artistic performances and fundamental political change was. Nothing illustrates this better than the name of the band itself: Antis can be literally translated as ‘duck’. The fact that these events  were taking place in a time when nothing was without deeper political meaning, however, has to be kept in mind. Even the most absurd words can appear to be well-considered political statements. It is then for the audience to decide whether they would prefer a liter al translation of the name, or would rather view the project as an Anti-S (anti-Soviet) phenomenon; the astute musicians made sure that the ambiguity of the band’s name would be understandable to non-Lithuanian speakers as well. Nevertheless, Antis toured around Lithuania, claiming to be genuine communists, as that was the only way to make sure they could perform on a large stage in front of an ecstatic crowd. They represented the other face of the revolution: the one wearing jeans and whipping its hair to the wild rock tunes. We  often  take  the  dissolution  of  the  USSR  for  granted,  considering  it  an inevitable phenomenon ; it is difficult for us to understand why even inhabitants of a remote rural Lithuanian village were unable to hold back their tears on 11 March 1990, while holding Lithuanian flags in their hands and singing the national anthem that had been forbidden for almost half a century. This film,  made in the era of freedom  of  expression,  encourages  the  viewer  to  appreciate  the  beauty  and uniqueness of this historical period. This was a time when any kind of art could transmit a hidden message to a public able to read it; a time when the peaceful but determined fight for freedom united an entire nation as it had never been before. The selection of the soundtrack and the particular historical events portrayed in the     REVIEWS: FILMS  © School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London, 2014.    37 film  aim  to  reproduce  the  unique  atmosphere  of  euphoria  and  joyousness  that reigned in Lithuania and other Baltic states before the dissolution of the USSR. How We Played the Revolution is for those who are curious to see what kind of artistic expressions were provoked by the absurdity of the late Soviet regime. It is for those who want to know how far the liberating measures of perestroika let its citizens go  and,  ultimately,  it  is  for  those  who  wonder  why,  after  witnessing  Antis, Lithuanian people understood that fundamental change was ultimately inevitable.  ELENA LESIEUR School of Slavonic and East European Studies University College London                               	 ﾠThis	 ﾠwork	 ﾠis	 ﾠlicensed	 ﾠunder	 ﾠthe	 ﾠCreative	 ﾠCommons	 ﾠAttribution-ﾭ‐Non-ﾭ‐commercial-ﾭ‐Share-ﾭ‐alike	 ﾠ2.0	 ﾠUK:	 ﾠEngland	 ﾠ&	 ﾠWales	 ﾠLicense.	 ﾠThis	 ﾠlicense	 ﾠallows	 ﾠfor	 ﾠredistribution	 ﾠand	 ﾠalteration,	 ﾠcommercial	 ﾠand	 ﾠnon-ﾭ‐commercial,	 ﾠas	 ﾠlong	 ﾠas	 ﾠcredit	 ﾠis	 ﾠgiven	 ﾠto	 ﾠthe	 ﾠauthor.	 ﾠTo	 ﾠview	 ﾠa	 ﾠfull	 ﾠcopy	 ﾠof	 ﾠthis	 ﾠlicense,	 ﾠvisit:	 ﾠhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/	 ﾠor	 ﾠsend	 ﾠa	 ﾠletter	 ﾠto	 ﾠCreative	 ﾠCommons,	 ﾠ444	 ﾠCastro	 ﾠStreet,	 ﾠSuite	 ﾠ900,	 ﾠMountain	 ﾠView.	 ﾠ	 ﾠ

Kaip mes žaidėme revoliuciją / ‘How We Played the Revolution’ (2012): Documentary/Historical film, 69 min. Directed and written by GIEDRE ZICKYTE. France and Lithuania: Just A Moment. Language: Lithuanian.

Kaip mes žaidėme revoliuciją / ‘How We Played the Revolution’ (2012): Documentary/Historical film, 69 min. Directed and written by GIEDRE ZICKYTE. France and Lithuania: Just A Moment. Language: Lithuanian.

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