The first film from Lithuania to play at TIFF in over 15 years, Egle Vertelyte’s feature debut Miracle is a deadpan tragicomedy set in 1992. Just as the Baltics have shifted from communism to capitalism, Irena, the owner of a struggling pig farm in a tiny town finds a surprising benefactor in an apparently wealthy American.
Bernardas, who quickly offers to buy the farm seems to be the answer to Irena’s prayers. Her staff have gone unpaid for months, her pig population is plummeting and it seems like everyone in town loathes her. The boisterous American investor (who hilariously looks like Donald Trump) pledges to save the struggling swine, turning Irena’s family life and the village’s sleepy culture on its head.
Those who have travelled to present day Russia and countries from the former USSR will appreciate the films choir of somber characters. Though it’s the loudmouth American who we can thank for peeling back their despair and proving that even the most glum in a group have the power to flash a serious smile.
