Q&A: 'They Don't See Us' Director Agnė Roveršteinaitė

Combining home video footage and green screen backdrops, our latest fashion film submission, They Don‘t See Us, questions the reliability of memory. 'The film questions realism and consciousness about memories. Memories have been watched by us but they never meet ourselves. They are always alive and they play ghostly parts in our mind,' says Lithuanian director Agnė Roveršteinaitė.

We spoke to Roveršteinaitė over email about her love of home videos, putting herself into her work, and exploring identity through memory.

Violet Conroy: How did you first get into filmmaking?

Agnė Roveršteinaitė: I have interest in film cameras since my childhood. The experimentations started with an old film camera and the low-quality videos which expanded my vision for films. Afterschool activities, personal projects with friends, hours and hours spent editing. It all fascinated me immensely since we live in a world full of perfection and I was able to create something a little bit odd and a little bit challenging.

VC: How did you come up with the concept for this film?

AR: The film idea came up with my archives and mini DVD tapes which I found at home. While I was watching them I felt dual feelings that I am communicating with my memories. Every little me in the videos depicted my childhood which some parts I did not remember. That brought me to that time and I had an opportunity to look at it with the same eyes but different grown-up women's gaze. A woman looking at herself in the mirror and reflecting new perceptions.

VC: What was the process of making this film like, and what do you want the audience to take away from it? 

AR: The whole process of filmmaking was the most exciting part. As a self artist, I was responsible for filming and all post-production. I made my own green screen studio at home because that time was a national lockdown and my creativity had to be expanded not only for ideas but for alternative ways to work.

Creating different characters in different places through documentaries and new media, and blending reality with the future - made interesting interactions between me and the camera and also a viewer. I want to create an exploration of our identities through our memories. The audience can travel with time in their heads and date with past or future self.