Aistė Žegulytė is a Lithuanian film director, screenwriter and producer. She is best known for her critically acclaimed and award-winning films ‘The Summer of Sangailė’ and ‘The High Sun’.
Born in Vilnius in 1982, Aistė Žegulytė grew up in a family of film enthusiasts. Her father was a film buff and her mother an avid moviegoer, and this passion for film was passed down to Aistė. She studied film directing at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre and graduated in 2008.
Her debut feature ‘The Summer of Sangailė’ premiered at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 2015. The film was a critical success and won numerous awards, including the Best Director award at the Lithuanian Film Awards. It was also nominated for Best Film at the Asian Pacific Screen Awards. The film follows the story of a young woman, Sangailė, as she discovers her sexuality and independence during a summer spent in a rural Lithuanian village.
Her second feature ‘The High Sun’ premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016 and won the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section. The film follows three different couples spanning three different time periods, and examines how love and relationships evolve over the years. The film was praised for its originality and visual style, and was a critical success.
In 2019, Aistė Žegulytė directed her third feature ‘Vilnius, Our Love’. The film follows a young couple in Vilnius as they navigate the complexities of modern life. The film was selected for the Berlin International Film Festival, and was well received by critics.
Aistė Žegulytė is a celebrated filmmaker in Lithuania and has established herself as one of the leading female directors in Europe. Her films are known for their unique visual style and honest portrayals of relationships and sexuality. She is currently working on her fourth feature, which is set to be released in 2021.
