On Friday 30 January 2026, Film Fund Luxembourg announced that the Luxembourg co-production HOW TO DIVORCE DURING THE WAR won the Best Directing Award at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition section.
Directed by Andrius Blaževičius, the film is co-produced in Luxembourg by Red Lion (Vincent Quénault and Jeanne Geiben), alongside Lithuania, Ireland and the Czech Republic. It marks the third feature-length film by the Lithuanian director, who is already known for The Saint and Runner.
The production brings together an international team, including several Luxembourg-based professionals: Adelisa Pjanic (Art Director), Céline Bodson (Production Sound Mixer), Nicolas Tran Trong (Sound Editor), Loïc Collignon (Re-recording Mixer), Ulysse Charlier (Key Grip) and Vitalijus Kiselius (Gaffer). Luxembourg actress Gintare Parulyte appears in the role of Ona.
Synopsis:
Vilnius, 2022. A dynamic executive, Marija chooses the worst possible moment to have an honest conversation with her husband, Vytas, about their divorce: the very eve of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The couple is then forced to navigate a separation that collides with a refugee crisis and a midlife crisis.
According to Film Fund Luxembourg, in this third feature film, the Lithuanian director sought to explore polarisation, radicalisation and a growing reluctance to relinquish individual comfort in favour of collective responsibility – themes that resonate deeply with today’s Europe.
The fund also noted that, as the first major event of the year for independent cinema, the Sundance Film Festival provided the film with a high-profile international showcase.
“This distinction confirms once again the artistic excellence of co-productions supported by Luxembourg, and demonstrates the appeal of bold audiovisual projects developed with countries outside the usual co-production networks,” said Guy Daleiden, Director of the National Fund for the Support of Audiovisual Production.
The 2026 edition of the Sundance Film Festival was the last to take place in Park City; from 2027 onwards, the festival will move to Boulder, Colorado.
