Laurynas Bareiša

• Born — 26 February 1988 • Birthplace — Kaunas, Lithuania • Occupation — Film director, cinematographer

Bareiša was born in Kaunas, Lithuania. He earned bachelor's degrees in applied mathematics and cinematography from Vilnius University and the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, respectively. In 2016, he graduated with a master's degree in film directing.

After serving for years as a cinematographer, Bareiša's 2014 directorial debut, the short film Dembava, was named one of the Top 5 Short Films of 2014 by Cineuropa. He directed the 2017 short films The Camel and By the Pool; the latter premiered in the Orizzonti section of the 74th Venice International Film Festival. Bareiša's short film Caucasus premiered in the Pardi di Domani section of the 2018 Locarno Film Festival. His short film Dummy premiered at the 2020 Berlin International Film Festival. Bareiša's 2021 feature-length debut Pilgrims starred Gabija Bargailaite and Giedrius Kiela as the brother and girlfriend of a murder victim. The film debuted at the 78th Venice International Film Festival, where it was awarded the Orizzonti prize. Pilgrims was nominated in 11 categories at the Lithuanian Film Awards. Bareiša won in three categories (Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay), while Giedrius Kiela won Best Actor. In 2024, Bareiša's film Drowning Dry premiered in the Concorso Internazionale section of the 77th Locarno Film Festival in competition for the Golden Leopard. For the film, he was recognized with the festival's Best Direction Award while the principal cast received the Best Performance Award.

• Year — English title — Original title — Notes — Ref. • 2014 — Dembava — Short film • 2017 — The Camel — Short film • By the Pool — Short film • 2018 — Caucasus — Short film • 2020 — Dummy — Akturimas — Short film • 2021 — Pilgrims — Piligrimai • 2024 — Drowning Dry — Seses