Dekanalog announces the U.S. theatrical release date and unveils the new trailer and poster for DROWNING DRY (Sesės), the highly-acclaimed sophomore feature from Lithuanian filmmaker Laurynas Bareiša, co-produced by Academy Award-winner Matiss Kaza (Flow). The theatrical run of DROWNING DRY will kick off on Friday, July 18 at IFC Center in New York City with Bareiša in attendance, followed by Los Angeles and other major U.S. cities TBA.
The release comes fresh off the heels of a highly-anticipated NYC premiere at New Directors/New Films earlier this month, with the film having represented Lithuania in the Best International Feature Film category at the 97th Academy Awards®.
The haunting family drama has garnered critical praise following its celebrated world premiere at last year’s Locarno Film Festival, where DROWNING DRY won the Best Director prize for Bareiša, and the Best Performance Award was shared by its ensemble cast.
Widely considered to be at the vanguard of an emerging new wave of internationally recognized films from a new generation of Baltic talents, DROWNING DRY is both the filmmaker’s second time as Lithuania’s contender in the International Feature Academy Award® race and marks the second collaboration with Dekanalog, who previously distributed his 2021 Venice International Film Festival’s Horizons Award-winning debut feature Pilgrims, which had its North American premiere at 2022 New Directors/New Films followed by the U.S. theatrical release.
Written, directed, and shot by Bareiša, DROWNING DRY tells the story of two sisters, Ernesta (Gelminė Glemžaitė) and Justė (Agnė Kaktaitė), whose lives are irrevocably altered after a near-tragic accident involving one of their children during a weekend getaway with their spouses, Tomas (Giedrius Kiela) and Lukas (Paulius Markevičius).
Critics have praised the film as a poignant exploration of resilience that unfolds with Bareiša’s masterful craftsmanship and emotional depth. The Hollywood Reporter highlighted Bareiša’s role as his own cinematographer, noting his “sober, carefully orchestrated shots” that evoke the precision of Michael Haneke.
The Film Stage described the film as “conceptually rich in its design and ideas, beautifully shot in its own evasive way, even cruelly funny,” and commended its “subtly unnerving imagery.” Variety praised Bareiša’s unconventional approach, calling the film “an exploration of trauma that defies and subverts dramatic conventions,” while Next Best Picture celebrated it as “one of the year’s most affecting dramas.”
The title, a reference to the phenomenon of dry drowning, metaphorically underscores the layered and splintered narrative of grief and recovery. “I used the irregular repetition of the dry drowning condition as a structural element of the story to highlight the various ways of dealing with trauma,” Bareiša explained in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
As Lithuanian films swept the major awards at Locarno last year, the trade press reignited discussions about the emergence of New Lithuanian Cinema and the Lithuanian New Wave. With his dual win, Bareiša, who also served as cinematographer on Marija Kavtaradze’s Sundance award-winning feature Slow, solidified his place at the forefront of this movement and reaffirmed his position as one of the most compelling new voices in contemporary international cinema.
DROWNING DRY went on to screen at major festivals worldwide, including Busan, Viennale, São Paulo and Stockholm, among others, earning the Best Baltic Director Award at Tallinn Black Nights, Jury Special Mention at the Riga International Film Festival, Rampa Best Film Award at the Seville European Film Festival, and others.
DROWNING DRY had its North American premiere at this year’s Palm Springs International Film Festival, followed by screenings at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival, and the New York premiere at New Directors/New Films.
