The 8th Annual New York Baltic Film Festival (NYBFF) presented by Scandinavia House: The Nordic Center in America returns this November with the best new films from the Baltic region! On November 6, see the New York Premiere of the sharp, wistful relationship drama Renovation / Renovacija, (dir. Gabrielė Urbonaitė, Lithuania/Latvia/Belgium, 2025). 

The feature directorial debut of Lithuanian writer-director Gabriele Urbonaite follows 29-year-old perfectionist Ilona (Žygimantė Elena Jakštaitė) as she faces mounting pressure to feel successful and settled by age 30. A work-from home journalist in Vilnius, things are getting serious with her boyfriend boyfriend Matas (Šarūnas Zenkevičius). And they’ve just moved into what seems like an idyllic apartment — until a massive, noisy bout of renovation work begins. In the midst of repairs to the building’s Soviet-era façade, cracks reveal themselves in Ilona’s seemingly perfect life, particularly as she hits it off with Ukrainian construction worker Oleg (Roman Lutskyi). Their connection leads to new discoveries —after spontaneously telling him she’s a poet, she actually begins to write poetry. But it also deepens her uncertainty. Does she really want to settle down and start a family? (90 min. In Lithuanian with English subtitles)

A “satisfying relationship dramedy that jumps into the nuances of having one’s status quo shaken up,” Renovation shows millennials exposed to endless possibilities and the pressure to perform, while wrestling with lingering legacy of Russian oppression and the nearby war in Ukraine.

“Renovation is a curious, delightful beast” – Olivia Popp, Cineuropa

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