How to Divorce During the War

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How to Divorce During the War

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1h 48m

Drama

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30 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

Vilnius, 2022. High-flying executive Marija (Zygimante Elena Jakstaite) chooses the worst possible moment to inform her husband Vytas (Marius Repsys) she wants a divorce: just one day before Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Suddenly the couple must navigate the process of separation as it collides with a refugee and mid-life crisis. A struggling film director, Vytas is put into a tight spot by having to move in with his Russophile parents, while Marija struggles to find her footing as the war affects both her business and home life. As the reason for the divorce gradually becomes clear, the dissolution of Marija and Vytas' marriage creates conflicts and opportunities for both of them, while also affecting their ever-observant young daughter Dovile. Packed with surprises along with much heartache and soul searching, Andrius Blaževičius' nuanced and timely family drama--winner of the World Cinema Best Director award at Sundance 2026--skillfully depicts the fallout of a marriage against the backdrop of extraordinary events with humor and compassion.

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Zachary Barnes

Wall Street Journal

Aug 21

That all this lands with both real feeling and a darkly comic edge owes in large part to the committed, human-scaled work of the actors, portraying essentially self-involved people who are called, by broader circumstances, beyond themselves.

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Wilson Chapman

IndieWire

Aug 21

B+

The results are sometimes dramatic but often dryly amusing, capturing the leads’ cushy lives and their often warped sense of altruism in a series of droll vignettes.

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Matt Zoller Seitz

RogerEbert.com

Aug 21

3/4

The entire thing seems more an anecdote than a fully satisfying movie once we hit the last scene and the credits roll. But it’s an anecdote with a perfect punchline.

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Stephen A. Russell

Orion's Shoulder (Substack)

21h

Blaževičius’ cruise missile-guided point ignites this desert-dry black comedy of ill manners.

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Brett Arnold

At the Movies Again

6d

A darkly funny satire about the difference between the macro and micro issues in life, and who you are vs. who you think you might be.

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Joshua Polanski

In Review Online

Aug 29

How to Divorce During the War [is poetic]... in [its understanding] that something as quotidian as grammar might occupy our attention in a time of war.

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Michael L

@RT81305596 4d

I really liked this. I thought it was really unique how they blended the war in Ukraine with such a personal story about a couple going through a divorce. I found it really relatable and emotionally impactful, especially as someone in a long-term relationship.

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Bill H

@RT59114294 4d

An intriguing premise, strong lead performances, and some subtly brilliant camera work ensure that this doesn't devolve into either tone deaf farce or soap opera melodrama.

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Andrius Blazevicius

Director

Marius Repsys

Vytas

Zygimante Elena Jakstaite

Actor

Amelija Adomaitytė

Actor

Indre Patkauskaite

Actor

Gintare Parulyte

Actor

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Synopsis

Vilnius, 2022. High-flying executive Marija (Zygimante Elena Jakstaite) chooses the worst possible moment to inform her husband Vytas (Marius Repsys) she wants a divorce: just one day before Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Suddenly the couple must navigate the process of separation as it collides with a refugee and mid-life crisis. A struggling film director, Vytas is put into a tight spot by having to move in with his Russophile parents, while Marija struggles to find her footing as the war affects both her business and home life. As the reason for the divorce gradually becomes clear, the dissolution of Marija and Vytas' marriage creates conflicts and opportunities for both of them, while also affecting their ever-observant young daughter Dovile. Packed with surprises along with much heartache and soul searching, Andrius Blaževičius' nuanced and timely family drama--winner of the World Cinema Best Director award at Sundance 2026--skillfully depicts the fallout of a marriage against the backdrop of extraordinary events with humor and compassion.

Director: Andrius Blazevicius
Producer: Marija Razgute
Screenwriter: Andrius Blazevicius
Distributor: Kino Lorber
Production Co: M-Films
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Lithuanian
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 21, 2026, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA): $18.8K
Runtime: 1h 48m

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