Igor Drozdov
VILNIUS — Lithuania saw record emigration last year: why?
Primarily economic reasons, as the crisis has decreased pay, sent unemployment to 18 percent and the pittance of new job openings are offering typically 1,000 litai (€290) in monthly pay, regardless of the experience level. The fragile economic recovery has yet to turn around the job market.
Meanwhile Lithuania has the fifth-highest income inequality in the European Union, with the top 20 percent earning nearly six times more than the bottom 20 percent of incomes according to Eurostat.
With this in mind young filmmaker Igor Drozdov, himself a Lithuania emigre living in England, returned home to film the documentary “Shall I?” (“Ar Verta?”) about why Lithuanians are leaving the “Land of Rain” in record numbers.
Featuring interviews and impressive cinematography considering its tiny budget, the film was produced independently and was released this month online — you can watch it below here on Baltic Reports.
Corruption, not “economy” or lack of opportunities is why people leave.
I came to Lithuania from the US several years ago “for a better life.” I found it. I would not consider going back. Most Lithuanians I know would not leave either.
One only has to go to Ozas to find easy proof that people are coming to Lithuania to live. Look who is working there.
This film was made by simple minded sociologists who look at the surface of muddy water and speculate on what is underneath…
This film is propaganda, not documentary.
The film raises some correct points but completely misses the positive ones. If the author wanted to show what’s life like in Lithuania he has failed.
I am sorry but the film is an anti Lithuanian propaganda by a local Russian guy who haven’t made it in Lithuania.
What has the Russian balalaika music to do with a lady milking a cow in Birzai region? A hairdresser is complaining about the childcare benefits (on of the most generous in the world!) A Russian trolley driver longs for the Soviet times when ‘everybody’ could go to the Black Sea and for 10 rubles can buy food for all month! Well, if you could find anything in the shops, let’s start from that! Absolute nonsense, I don’t understand why the author used such footage. A very unbalanced attempt to portray Lithuania in a negative light.
It’s really good that this film has sparked some kind of discussion – because more opinitons we have, broader the picture of life is actually opening. I personally knwo many people who have just returned from living in USA back to Latvia, which they left about 5 yerars ago, probably for the same reason as did guys in Lithuania. I don’t know know how deep recessio hit Lithuanian of course, althoguh in VIlnius it seems to be quite developed and European. But in Latvia everything is quite unbalanced, if we take Riga for instance with its new bars and clubs opening for the locals and foreigners, loads of guided tours and toursim really showing off in summer, then noone can feel any recesion at all. But as soon as this season is over than probably even people who returned back home from developed doucntries might start thinknig again..Although I belive in Latvian and Lithuanina economies ad it’s aup to young people to get it back on track, using all technologies and expriences taht they have and old generation simply wont be able to pull. So let’s hope it gets better..and come with a visit to Riga for really nice holiday :)