Things are not always what they seem. This phrase is likely to come to mind when you watch The activist (Activist), the new crime drama from Lithuanian writer-director Romas Zabarauskas. The dark thriller, the third film in his queer trilogy after The lawyer (2020) and The writer (2023), stars rising star Robertas Petraitis, known from Lithuania’s 2026 Oscar nominee The Chronicles of the South.
The activist was released theatrically in Lithuania on September 19, debuting at second place at the country’s box office. It will have its international premiere at the 29th Tallinn Dark Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) on November 14.
“A masked intruder murders Deividas (Elvinas Juodkazis), Lithuania’s most influential human rights activist, just as the city of Kaunas prepares for its first LGBTQ+ march,” reads the plot synopsis. “Just hours earlier, Deividas had clashed with his secret lover, Andrius (Petraitis), who is too afraid to reveal himself or publicly support the fragile community. Consumed by grief and guilt, Andrius launches his own secret investigation, soon discovering that Deividas is surrounded by two-faced enemies.”
The cast also includes Vaslov Goom as Bernardas, who wants to keep the activist group Rainbow strong; Redita Dominaityte as politician Rolanda Markeviciene; Tekle Baroti as torn Laima; Karolis Kasperavicius and Arnoldas Augustaitis as neo-Nazis Mykolas and Rytis; and more.
The Hollywood Reporter can exclusively reveal three clips of The activist which give a first idea of the film and its characters.
The first clip shows Juodkazis as Deividas and Dominaityte as Rolanda Markeviciene as they face a demonstration by neo-Nazis and others.
The second extract from The activist walks into a planning meeting of right-wing activists seeking to disrupt an LGBTQ+ march. In it, viewers meet Petraitis as Andrius, who is in undercover mode; Baroti as Laima; Kasperavicius as Mykolas; and Augustaitis as Rytis.
Things threaten to get out of hand when they start discussing the address of a gay rights group.
Petraitis’ Andrius and Goom as Bernardas in Exclusive Finale Clip The activist. The dangers of Andrius’ secret investigation loom large in their tense conversation, as do a potential scandal and the question of his reputation.
Check out the clip below.
