The Issa Valley

The film’s action takes place in Lithuania at the end of the 1910s, in a valley by the half-mythical Issa River. A boy named Tomaszek becomes a witness to the dramatic changes occurring in his native village. Local events—such as the priest’s affair with the housekeeper, the maid Barbarka’s unhappy love, and the growing madness of the forester Baltazar, who descends into madness—form the backdrop for deeper, philosophical reflections on human nature, death, and existence. In this world, reality intertwines with mythology: devils, demons, and other figures from Lithuanian legends appear in the lives of the characters, lending the events a surreal dimension. Woven through this dark, symbol-laden tale is the theme of the inevitability of fate and how human dramas are entangled with supernatural forces. The film is steeped in atmosphere, mystery, and existential unease, serving as a meditation on life and death, blurring the boundaries between what is real and what is mystical.