“Dialogue from the Between Worlds”

After a very successful production of the performance “Open the Door,” produced by the National Kaunas Drama Theatre (Lithuania) in collaboration with Les Récréâtrales (Burkina Faso) as part of the DECONFINING project ,we are pleased to present another artistic collaboration: the short film Dialogue from between the Worlds, produced by the National Kaunas Drama Theatre (Lithuania) in collaboration with RAW Material Company (Senegal).

The film reconstructs an imaginary meeting between two cinematic geniuses: Ousmane Sembène from Senegal and Jonas Mekas from Lithuania.

Jonas Mekas and Ousmane Sembene each stand as among the most significant independent filmmakers of the 20th century in their own unique ways. They were born only eight days apart, at the turn of the year 1923. Both endured the storms of the 20 th  century, World War II, and the imperialist occupation of their respective homelands, Lithuania and Senegal. Both crossed paths with legendary artistic and political figures: Allan Ginsberg, Yoko Ono, Andy Warhol; Patrice Lumumba, Amilcar Cabral, Ho Chi Minh…

Through his cinema, Sembene sought to overturn the colonial gaze on his continent and re-centre African people as subjects of their history. His filmography is a series of political and pedagogical gestures, reflecting his belief that literature, steeped in elitism, could not reach a largely oral society. His work forged a powerful counter-narrative to the dominant colonial-capitalist discourse.

Mekas, meanwhile, crafted a very personal, complex filmography away from mainstream languages and commercial production, building a community of artistic allies at the Anthology Film Archive, New York’s mecca of experimental cinema.

At first glance, their worlds seem apart. Yet curiously, their respective first features, Black Girl and Guns of the Trees, shot in black and white, share the same plot: a young woman, facing the crushing domination of exploitation, racism, and patriarchy, takes her own life.

Though there is no known evidence that the two filmmakers ever met, they might have — on several occasions. The School of Mutants, after extensive field research and archival investigation, invites us to imagine the conversation that these two icons of freedom and fierce autonomy could have shared, embodied by theatre director Naubertas Janiskas and filmmaker/actor Alassane Sy.

A speculation. The snow of Seminiskai. The ocean of Yoff. A dialogue from beyond…

• Duration: 13:21 min

Premieres and screenings

Following its production, Dialogue from between the Worlds was presented to audiences in Lithuania, Senegal and internationally, through cinema screenings, public discussions, a theatre installation and festival programmes.

 
19 November 2024 — Lithuanian premiere, Kaunas, Lithuania

The film premiered at Romuva Cinema in Kaunas, in an event organised by the National Kaunas Drama Theatre and RAW Material Company. The screening was followed by a discussion with Naubertas Jasinskas, one of the film’s actors, photographer Arūnas Kulikauskas, and film critic Gediminas Jankauskas, moderated by Edgaras Klivis, Artistic Director of the National Kaunas Drama Theatre.

 
22 November 2024 — Dakar, Senegal

The film was presented at Selebe Yoon Arts Center in Dakar, in the context of the Dakar Art Biennale. The screening was followed by a discussion featuring Hamedine Kane, member of The School of Mutants, Pape Lopy of Cinébanlieue and journalist, writer and DJ Ntone Edjabe, moderated by Aboubacar Demba Cissokho.

 
16 December 2024 – 6 January 2025 — Kaunas, Lithuania

The film was also presented as an art installation in the Main Stage lobby of the National Kaunas Drama Theatre. Over three weeks, theatre visitors had the opportunity to watch the film as part of their visit to the theatre.

 
22 June 2025 — Wrocław, Poland

The film was screened as part of the 23rd SURVIVAL Art Review, within the programme Culture and Art in Intercontinental Relations. The screening was followed by a discussion entitled “Between Continents: Institutional Challenges of Culture in Europe and Africa”.

A film connecting Lithuania and Senegal

The creative process of the film connecting Senegalese and Lithuanian cultures was filmed in two phases. The first occurred in the winter of 2024 in several locations in Lithuania, while
the second phase was carried out in the summer of the same year in Dakar, Senegal. For a deeper understanding of the vision behind this film, be sure to read our interview with  some of the filmmakers, members of The School of Mutants.

→ Read the interview