Marija Kavtaradzė

Writer

Lithuania

Marija Kavtaradzė’s short film “I’m Twenty Something” won best student film at the Lithuanian Film Academy Awards in 2015. Kavtaradzė also co-wrote the feature film “The Saint,” which premiered at Busan IFF and Warsaw ISFF in 2016. In 2017 the film had a theatrical release in Lithuania, where it grossed more than 250,000 euro. “Summer Survivors” is her feature debut.

Project

Devils’ Den

Every year, deep in the Lithuanian forest, a society of the most accomplished surgeons assembles to initiate their children into this secret family and to receive the blessing of their mystical, but very real deity – MOTHER. Benas (18) a subdued teenager with a questionable sense of humor is en-route to this ritual with his mother – the manipulative neurosurgeon Inga (39). Benas doesn’t want to become a surgeon. He loathes Inga. She, however, manipulates him into taking part in the ritual, only to show-off, to remain relevant in the eyes of the other surgeons. Under a watchful eye of the MOTHER, Benas and the other surgeon progenies will have to undergo tasks to ensure that they are worthy of the blessing. Soon, however, Benas will learn that once he joins the family – he is bound to serve it forever. Benas will try to run from this crazy witchery, chased by the MOTHER’s servants and a very particular black goat, to ultimately try and see his own mother’s choices from a new perspective.