THE FIELD OF MAGIC (Mindaugas Survila, Lithuania). 62 minutes. Subtitled. Rating: NNNN
For 20 years, a group of marginalized Lithuanians has lived in a shantytown on the fringe of the Buda Forest, with no electricity, minimal conveniences, bartering for fresh water in town and scavenging in a nearby landfill for supplies. And they’re mostly happy.
Mindaugas Survila’s candid look at these survivalists may be an antidote to chronic First World whiners. When the local media depict them as pill-popping, moonshine-swilling depressives, they simply laugh it off with a degree of positivity that’s inspiring. When one man claims they’ll outlive the rest of the world, it’s not hard to believe.
Apr 28, 6:15 pm, TIFF Bell Lightbox 4 Apr 30, 1:30 pm, TIFF Bell Lightbox 3.
