The Old Man and the Land

The Old Man and the Land by Robertas Verba is considered one of the iconic early features of Lithuanian poetic documentary cinema. Documentaries and newsreels of the time were expected to show country folk rejoicing in their improving Soviet existence and in the new achievements in collective farming, their experiences usually conveyed by voiceover narration. The hero of Verba’s film, a white-mustached old man, is different. By allowing his subject to speak for himself, to narrate his own life story, including its woes, and to talk about his children and the love he feels for his wife, Verba created a unique profile of a genuine man from an old Lithuanian (as opposed to Soviet) village. (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)