1938. While Lithuania celebrates its Independence Day, war looms on the horizon. A young geographer pitches to the Prime Minister the idea of creating a backup state overseas, where the country’s inhabitants could move in case of danger. An odd yet heartfelt friendship arises between the two men.

Karolis Kaupinis’s boldly assured debut is a wonderfully unusual historical drama about our need for hope in order to escape a desperate situation. With a beautiful period recreation and a tone that wavers between dry comedy and earnest melancholy, an eccentric story comes to stand for so much more.