The First Farewell to Paradise

Arūnas Matelis was born in 1961 in Vilnius, Lithuania. 1979 –1983 he studies in the Vilnius University faculty of mathematics. 1984 –1989 he graduated from Lithuanian Music Academy, Theatre and TV faculty. 1992 Arūnas Matelis established one of the first independent film production companies in Lithuania called Nominum. Films directed and produced by A. Matelis are basically focusing on creative documentary, based on Arunas’ idea-manifest of “total cinema or poetic documentary”. Arūnas Matelis has directed 10 documentaries and produced about 20 films. Films directed by Arūnas Matelis were awarded and presented in many film festivals around the world like Cannes, Rotterdam, Torino, San Paulo, Oberhausen and others.

Since 1994 A. Matelis is a delegated member (from Lithuanian Filmmakers Union) of Lithuanian Radio and TV Commission. He was a chairman of Lithuanian film experts’ board for several years. Jury member in Bornholm (Denmark), documentary and TV film festival. A. Matelis is also the “Minister of Migration and Changes” in the “Republic of Uzupis” (the bohemian district of Vilnius, similar to Montmartre in Paris). Is married and a father of three children. —dokumentika.lt