Isaac film

Isaac (Lithuanian: Izaokas), directed by Jurgis Matulevičius, is the first Lithuanian feature film to address the participation of Lithuanians in the Holocaust, specifically focusing on the Lietūkis garage massacre of June 1941. The film is based on a novel of the same name by Antanas Škėma, which he wrote in 1960–1961 before his death and was first published posthumously in 1985. It was reissued as a separate volume in 2018.

The production took place in Lithuania, with filming occurring in Vilnius, Kaunas, and Klaipėda over two and a half years. The film premiered at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in November 2019 and was nominated for the Discovery prize at the European Film Awards in 2020. It screened at several festivals, including Glasgow Film Festival, Riviera International Film Festival, and Eastern European Film Festival Cottbus (Germany). Isaac was also recognized at the 19th Imagineindia International Film Festival in Spain, where it was named second best film, and Matulevičius received the title of second-best director.

The Lithuanian National Radio and Television praised the film for its anti-war message, calling it "the most surprising" at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. Stephen Dalton of *Hollywood Reporter* highlighted the film's artistic sophistication and potential appeal to a broader audience beyond niche art house cinema.

Isaac was submitted by Lithuania as its entry for Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards.