[EDITOR'S NOTE: Unreal TV is running an interview with filmmaker/gay-rights activist Romas Zabarauskas in mid-September 2017.]
The intense passion of 27 year-old Lithuanian producer/director/writer/righteous dude Romas Zabrarauskas for getting his films made and his related vigorous campaigning for gay civil rights in his native country dramatically comes across in his films. As shown below, they are personal and intense.
The most notable example of the contagious passion of Zabarauskas for his work is his offering nude photos of himself as a premium in a crowdfunding campaign to raise money to make his third film "You Can't Escape Lithuania." Unreal TV reviewing this entertaining and insightful film is the beginning of a reviewer/filmmaker relationship with Zabarauskas that includes him providing DVD of his two previous films.
Zabarauskas shares regarding the aforementioned photos that he considers them a "cheeky" way to raise money. The blessing and the curse regarding these pics is that naked pictures of an attractive guy are always appealing but the subject this time is such a talent and a nice guy that you do not want to embarrass him. (An aside is that a high school teacher carelessly leaving naked desert photos of his then-girlfriend posing with pots and pans but future wife/fellow teacher on his desk is a favorite teen memory especially because that subject has the same smile on her face regardless of whether she is dressed.)
The 30-minute 2011 drama "Porno Melodrama" by Zabrauskas is light on the former but heavy on the latter; it centers around the conflicts of 20-something live-in boyfriends Jonas and Matas in Lithuania, which has a central govenment that denies equal rights for gay men.
The following YouTube clip of the "Porno" theatrical trailer reflects the aforementioned ratio of the titular elements and demonstrates both the intensity of the film and emphasis of art over commerce.
The "Porno" enters the picture in the form of the love of Jonas for Matas being so strong that he consents to making a stag film with former girlfriend Akvile to fund an escape from Lithuania to a more gay-friendly nation. Some of the ensuing melodrama relates to Matas being concerned that Jonas will like making the film a little too much and Jonas being unhappy that he must earn most of the household money while grad student Matas spends all day working on this thesis; an element of I expect dinner to be on the table when I come home from having straight sex in front of a camera all day enters the picture.
For her part, Akvile is experiencing drama regarding her current relationship with a man; she also has emotions related to Jonas leaving her for Matas. She also gets the best line in the film in stating that she admires gay men in Lithuania because they remain true to themselves despite doing so subjecting them to intense literal scorn and ridicule.
The shock-and-awe in the final scenes of "Porno" that are a Zabrauskas trademark amp up the titular drama. Akvile delivers an intense monologue to a captive audience in the background of everything about to go up in flames. This is comparable to a big gay surprise ending in "Lithuania" and a bringing down the house scene in the Zabrauskas feature "We Will Riot."
The live-stage feel of "Porno" shows that Zabrauskas directs well and effectively communicates his vision. It further provides more senior European gay producer/director/writer Casper Andreas another reason to look over his shoulder.
Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Porno" or Zabrauskas is strongly encouraged to email me; you alternatively can connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.
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