The Lithuanian Graphic Novel Siberian Haiku Becomes A Lithuanian/French/Belgian Animation Feature
The Lithuanian multi-awarded graphic novel 'Siberian Haiku' will be adapted as an animated feature by a Lithuanian-French-Belgian team. The Academy Award shortlisted Belgian-Polish artist Sylwia Szkiladz is on board.
When Just A Moment producer Dagnė Vildžiūnaitė read the Lithuanian graphic novel 'Siberian Haiku' ('Sibiro Haiku', published in 2017) by Jurga Vilė and Lina Itagaki, it was immediately clear to her that it was a future bestseller. While the book has received many important awards both nationally and internationally (including Best book for young audience at German Youth Literature Awards 2021), its most meaningful recognition has come from young readers, who continue to ask whether the story will become a film. The book has now been translated into 15 languages and published worldwide, from the UK to Japan.
The book tells the real story of Algis, a Lithuanian child deported with a part of his family to a working camp in Siberia in 1941. Algis discovers life in the camp, the cruelty of the guards, and the strength of the ferlings that bind him to his family and to young Veronika. The boy's daily life is structured around the rhythms of the Apple Seeds choir, the percussion of the Japanese prisoners, Petronelle's haikus, the search for food, the letters sent to his father Romas, and the antics of Martynas, his pet gander. A coming-of-age, poetic, and moving story.
“As the displacement of families and children becomes an increasingly urgent issue, the film - like the book - remains focused on a child’s perspective and on resilience. It tells a powerful yet little-known story from Lithuania, connecting a boy from the 1940s with children today through universal values: home, family, friendship, and dreams that sustain us even in the darkest times” - Dagnė Vildžiūnaitė, producer.
From the very beginning, the project has been developed together with French producer Jean-François Le Corre (Vivement Lundi!, No Dogs Or Italians Allowed), with the shared goal of creating a story that resonates with children and families around the world.
“When I read this graphic novel, my curiosity was piqued just as it was when I discovered Alain Ughetto’s project 'No Dogs Or Italians Allowed', another moving story of a family living through wars and resisting thanks to the bonds of love that unite them. This is the kind of European history we need to propose on screens” - Jean-François Le Corre, producer.
To broaden the creative perspective, the team brought on board French screenwriter Christelle Berthevas, working alongside the book’s author Jurga Vilė and Belgian Polish graphic-author Sylwia Szkiladz. The team is happy to welcome Sylwia Szkiladz as director too. With her previous multi-awarded film 'Autokar', shortlisted for an Academy Award and nominated for a Belgian Film Award René, she demonstrated an exceptional ability to tell stories through a child’s eyes - exactly the sensibility this film requires. This was the moment when Belgian producer Need Productions (Allah n'est pas obligé) (Anne-Laure Guégan and Géraldine Sprimon) joined the team.
The script-writing and graphic design are in progress, and the producers expect to present the project to investors during the MIFA Annecy 2026. The development was funded by the Lithuanian Film Centre, Creative Europe, and Bretagne Cinéma. In January, the Lithuanian Film Centre gave the project a strong boost with significant production support. The producers are looking for a € 3,5 M budget and 30% are now secured.
(Press Release)
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