Award-winning Taiwanese-Lithuanian co-production makes Vilnius premiere

Vilnius, Lithuania, Feb. 5 (CNA) "China Sea" (中國海), a psychological drama co-produced by Taiwan and Lithuania, made its theatrical premiere at the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius on Tuesday before beginning an official run in the Baltic state on Friday.

The film first received its world premiere on Nov. 18 last year at the 29th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) in Estonia, when it also won Best Film in the Critics' Picks Competition.

On Tuesday, the film's premiere in Vilnius was attended by Taiwanese and Lithuanian officials.

According to Taiwan's top envoy to Lithuania, Constance Wang (王雪虹), she was happy to bear witness to the fruitful results of the cooperation between both countries, adding that the process was very positive and professional, including the casting process.

The film featured an ensemble cast from both Lithuania and Taiwan, including Taiwanese actors Jag Huang (黃健瑋), Lu Yi-ching (陸弈靜) and Sonia Yuan (袁子芸) in leading roles.

Directed by Jurgis Matulevičius, the film follows Lithuanian actor Marius Repsys as a disgraced mixed-martial arts (MMA) champion who is expelled from his sports league after accidentally injuring a girl during a street altercation.

After being banned from participating in tournaments in Asia, where he had found fame, Repsys's Osvald is forced to stay in his Eastern European hometown, where he spends the bulk of his days in "China Sea," an Asian restaurant owned by Huang's Ju-Long, who is a Taiwanese immigrant and Osvald's only remaining friend.

While forced into group psychotherapy by a court, Osvald begins to lose touch with reality while seeking redemption from his mistakes in the martial arts arthouse.

In a press release, the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania said the film was partially supported by the Taiwan Creative Content Agency and Lithuanian counterparts such as the Lietuvos kino centras (Lithuanian Film Centre).

In addition to the film's participation at PÖFF, Wang added that there are plans to submit "China Sea" to international film festivals in Taiwan, such as the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and the Taipei Film Festival.

The movie will officially make its theatrical release in Lithuania on Friday.