This may sound strange, but I have reasons to mention that Lithuania, the small Baltic country that gained back independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, finally got a nomination in the Foreign Film category from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, better known as the people who give out the Oscars every February or March.

The 46-year-old Lithuanian filmmaker Arunas Matelis’ film, Before Flying Back to Earth, will compete with 60 other films in next year’s 79th edition of the Academy Awards.  The film is a 52-minute documentary about kids with cancer, how they cope while stuck in a hospital, and their feelings and relationships with each other.  It has won the top prizes at last year’s Leipzig and Amsterdam film festivals.  Matelis is a graduate of the theater and TV division of the Lithuanian Academy of Music, and he set up the Nominum Film Production Company in 1992, just a year after the country gained independence.  He has directed more than ten documentaries and around 20 features.  In response to the nomination, he told AFP, “I am very happy with the nomination.  It is the first time for Lithuania, the first time for the Baltic countries and, as far as I know, the first time a documentary will compete against other movies.”

Now the reason why this is important to me is the fact that I’m half Lithuanian.  My mother recently traveled to the country for the first time in her life, finally visiting where her parents were born and meeting many cousins she has never seen in person before.  It makes me feel good that such a small and downtrodden country can emerge from years of oppression, start to pull themselves out of such a quagmire, and begin to become significant contributors to the global society. They continue to build upon their sport heritage with ever-increasing competitive athletes in many sports.  I applaud their efforts and, if I was an Academy member, you know where I’d place my vote. Gero pasisekimo, or good luck.

Rich Burlingham