Lithuanian creator spends a week in each municipality to challenge stereotypes about rural life

A Lithuanian filmmaker and event host is living for one week in each of the country’s 60 municipalities to document daily life outside major cities and challenge divisions between urban and rural communities, LRT.lt reports.

Marius Pocevičius, a director and creative producer, began the project after a 2022 hiking trip through the Camino Lituano trail led him to the small town of Lygumai in Pakruojis district. Inspired by a series of chance encounters—including an offer of local cheese and sweets from strangers—he decided to explore Lithuania’s regions more deeply.

“My goal is to unite, to find what we have in common, because there are so many divisive topics,” Pocevičius said. His video diaries capture everything from municipal office work and museum tours to kebab shops, dances, and farm life, aiming to portray provincial existence without idealisation or excessive criticism.

The most pressing issues in the regions, he notes, are demographics and employment. Older residents tend to be the most active, while younger people often leave. Yet he rejects the idea that rural areas lack opportunity: “People live in Kaišiadorys, Elektrėnai, along the highway between Vilnius and Kaunas. It’s great—no city noise, no traffic jams, just peace, and you can always drive in when needed.”

Pocevičius selects municipalities at random, spending his first two days in each location gathering recommendations from locals before choosing whom to film. Half his subjects appear by chance; the rest are planned. In Gelgaudiškis, he was struck by the absence of people his age. Some hesitate to appear on camera, but many eagerly share their towns—even offering to show off their garages.

When asked if rural and urban Lithuanians differ, he points to small-town dynamics: “In little towns, everyone knows everything about everyone. If you’re less self-assured, the gossip weighs on you. You worry what neighbours might think, what they’ll say.” City dwellers, he suggests, may be more tolerant. Yet wherever he goes, he finds “bright people who really want to show off their hometowns.”

His next challenge? To spend a week in “a village of villages”—the most remote spot he can find.