International Competition

Wonderful Losers: A Different World

Arunas Matelis
Screening time  
26.02. / Monday, 12:00 - 14:00 Theatre 4  
01.03. / Thursday, 20:00 - 22:00 Theatre 3  
02.03. / Friday, 16:00 - 18:00 Theatre 4  
The film reveals the unseen world of Sancho Panzas of professional cycling.

For most people, the cyclists at the back of the race are simply losers. They call them water carriers, domestics, optimists, and they sacrifice their careers and personal victories so their team leaders could win the race. For 7 years, Arunas Matelis followed these Sancho Panza’s of professional cycling during the prestigious Giro d’Italia, taking us to the unseen world of these wonderful losers of professional cycling, from the point of view of the doctors’ team. Our bike heroes crash, rise – and race again.

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Arunas Matelis

Arūnas Matelis was born in Kaunas, Lithuania, in 1961. He studied mathematics and he obtained a degree in theatre and television at the Lithuanian Musical Academy. In 1991, he founded Nominum, one of the first independent production houses in Lithuania, producing ‘creative’ documentaries awarded by festival juries in Cannes, Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Oberhausen. Among them are: Before Flying Back to the Earth (2005, Big Stamp Award at 2006 ZagrebDox), Flight over Lithuania or 510 Seconds of Silence (2004), Sunday: The Gospel According Lift-Man Albertas (2003).

General sponsor

Wonderful Losers: A Different World

Lithuania
2017, 71'

Directed by:
Arunas Matelis

Screenplay by:
Arunas Matelis

Cinematography:
Mark Olexa, Ivars Zviedris, Simone Rivoire, Giordano Bianchi, Valdis Celmins, Andrius Kemežys, Giacomo Becherini, Paolo Beniti, Vincent O’Callaghan, Arūnas Matelis

Edited by:
Mirjam Jegorov, Gatis Belogrudovs

Music:
Alberto Lucendo

Producer:
Algimante Mateliene

Produced by:
Studio Nominum

Festivals & Awards:

Lithuanian Filmmakers Union 2017 – Best Lithuanian Film; Trieste Film Festival 2018 – Alpe Adria Cinema Award for Best Documentary; Minsk International Film Festival Listapad 2018