In Mariupol, the russian military killed Lithuanian filmmaker and documentarist Mantas Kvedaravičius, as it was reported by “Army Inform,” russian filmmaker Vitaliy Manski, and Lithuanian media.
“Army Inform” notes that the director died as he was trying to leave the city. According to Lithuanian media, his car might have been hit by a missile.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has already expressed his condolences over the death of Kvedaravičius, delfi.lt reports.
“Not only Lithuania, but the whole world has lost a famous artist who, despite the danger, had been working in Ukraine, which was attacked by russia. I wish much, much strength to his family, friends and all those who appreciate Kvedaravičius’ talent,” said the Lithuanian President.
Later, Ukrainian journalist Albina Lvutina, who had known the filmmaker, said that Mantas Kvedaravičius had been shot dead by the russian troops. “The heartless russian soldiers captured Mantas and killed him. And then just left him out there. His heroic wife did the unbelievable. Under shelling, she was able to find his body in Mariupol and take him to his native Lithuania. It was necessary to keep this information a secret so that she wouldn’t be killed herself and that russians wouldn’t destroy the body,” the journalist wrote. According to her, Mantas died not on April 2, but earlier. At that point, his wife was already trying to take his body away through russia. The death of Kvedaravičius in the occupied Mariupol became known on April 3.
The Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Lyudmila Denisova also reported on the circumstances of Mantas Kvedaravičius’ death in Mariupol.
According to the Commissioner, he had been taken prisoner by ruscists, who later shot him. “The occupiers threw the filmmaker’s body out into the street. His wife, risking her life, took the body out of the blockaded city and brought it to Lithuania. The real cause of the filmmaker’s death has not been announced before for the sake of her safety,” the statement reads.
Mantas Kvedaravičius was born in 1976. He received a Master’s degree in cultural anthropology in Oxford University. In 2011, he made the documentary “Barzah” about the war-torn Chechnya. The film premiered at the Berlin Film Festival and won the Amnesty International Award.
In 2016, he made a documentary “Mariupol” about the city, which had been at the forefront of the russian-Ukrainian war a year before. The film was screened at the Berlin Film Festival.