Moonmakers's Fundraiser
A Goodnight Kiss | Documentary film in postproduction
Join me and help make a difference, please give today.
We are nearing the completion of our documentary film, A Goodnight Kiss - a story of survival and resilience. The film, produced and directed by Giedrė Žickytė, a European Film Award (EFA) nominated and award-winning Lithuanian documentary filmmaker, and executively produced and edited by Oscar-nominated film producer and editor Atanas Georgiev, looks at the hell of the twentieth century through the eyes of a remarkable woman who lost everything but faith and love.
Professor Irena Veisaitė, a Holocaust survivor and revered Lithuanian scholar, endured the harrowing realities of both Nazi and Stalinist regimes, but did not succumb to hatred. Her life’s work in promoting dialogue and empathy in society has been truly inspiring, especially now, when growing divisions, hatred, and intolerance are re-emerging in today’s world.
We are currently seeking completion funds to cover the remaining post-production costs, including music rights, color grading, and sound design, totaling $27,000. We aim to release the film in the autumn of 2025, and your support could significantly contribute to bringing this important story to the world. We appreciate your consideration and hope you will join us in making this project a reality if you find this story meaningful and close to your heart. Every contribution matters and helps us share Irena Veisaitė's life mission with the world.
Born into a wealthy Jewish family in 1928, she was 13 when the Nazis invaded Lithuania, a Baltic country at the crossroads of Russian and German influence. After narrowly escaping death in the Kaunas ghetto, she was taken in by the Christian family of a Lithuanian woman, who, unafraid to risk the lives of her own six children, surrounded the orphaned Irena with motherly love. But when the war ends and the Soviets reoccupy the country, her second mother is deported to Siberia. The loss of her two mothers - one Jewish, killed by the Nazis, the other Catholic, sent to the Soviet Gulag - profoundly shapes Irena. Guided by the last words of her biological mother and the courage of her second mother, Irena dedicates her life to promoting dialogue and understanding.
The eternal yearning of her soul finds solace in Arvo Pärt's world-famous piano composition Für Alina, written especially for her, which evokes reflections on loss and the enduring power of love. The piece becomes a metaphor woven throughout the film's narrative. Arvo Pärt wrote the piece to comfort Irena as she longed for her own daughter. In the film, the composition comes to encapsulate a mother's love - a driving force in Irena's life, shaped by the legacies of her own two mothers.
The film follows the last years of Irena's life when she is in her 90s. Sadly, Irena passed away during the making of this film. Everything she warned us about now seems to be hurtling towards us – a rising tide of hatred and conflict reminiscent of the period leading up to World War II. Even though she is no longer physically with us, but can her wisdom still guide us and help us survive the burden of our times?