How do you end a marriage when the world itself feels as if it may be coming apart?
Marija tells her husband she wants a divorce on February 23, 2022.
The next morning, Russia launches its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
That is the starting point for HOW TO DIVORCE DURING THE WAR, which earned Lithuanian filmmaker Andrius Blaževičius the Directing Award: World Cinema Dramatic at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
Blaževičius uses the fracture of one family to reflect a larger crisis: a Europe divided by fear, propaganda and the temptation to choose personal comfort over collective responsibility.
Set in Vilnius during the first months of the invasion, the film is sharply observed, unexpectedly funny and performed with such naturalism that it can sometimes feel like a documentary.
Blaževičius finds bittersweet humor in people trying to behave honorably—and discovering how quickly their principles can collapse under the pressures of ordinary life
Watching from the edges is the couple’s young daughter, who understands far more than her parents realize.
In our conversation, Blaževičius discusses marriage, moral compromise, the divisions reshaping Europe and finding humanity—even humor—in a world living through crisis.
Join Greg Laemmle and Raphael Sbarge for a thoughtful conversation about HOW TO DIVORCE DURING THE WAR on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE.
A struggling film director, Vytas is put in a tight spot when he must 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, heartache, and soul-searching, Andrius Blaževičius’ nuanced and timely family drama skillfully depicts the fallout of a marriage against the backdrop of extraordinary events with humor and compassion.