Welcome back to my final review from 29th PÖFF | Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival! For this review, we go back to the “Baltic Film Competition” where we find the PÖFF 29 winner for Best Baltic Film… The Visitor (2025).
Title: The Visitor
Director: Vytautas Katkus
Premiered: July 7, 2025 (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival – Czechia)
Runtime: 1 hour 51 minutes
Danielius (Darius Šilėnas) leaves his wife and young child in Norway to return home to Lithuania. He’s returning to Lithuania to close a chapter and sell the flat that belonged to his late parents.
Upon arriving, Danielius quickly learns that everything you’re nostalgic for is gone.
While there might be familiar faces and recognizable storefronts, this is no longer home. The familiar faces are still friendly towards Danielius, they just seem a bit distant. Whether it be kids, a job, or what have you, everyone has grown apart from him during his time in Norway.
Will he be able to rekindle a connection to a place he once called home?
From a technical standpoint, I can absolutely see why The Visitor (2025) won Best Baltic Film.
Every shot, from the blocking to the contrast and everything in-between, is an absolute treat for your eyes. It all makes sense when you learn that Vytautas Katkus started as a cinematographer before moving into directing.
I really enjoyed the way he filmed Danielius wandering through his old hometown. He tries to close the gap with others, but they push him away, just as the film keeps us pushed back from Danielius.
However, once you get past the technical aspects of The Visitor (2025), there isn’t much there.
While yes, I did enjoy the way that Danielius wandering around town was shot. It slowly devolved into what felt like pointless meandering. There isn’t a whole lot of dialogue on this film. For the majority of the time, we’re just following along as he walks about town.
Despite laying the groundwork for a story focused on reconnecting with one’s roots, we’re never able to feel close enough to Danielius to become emotionally invested in his story. Unfortunately, the film never invites us to care about him feeling like a stranger in his old hometown.
As a result, you begin to feel the runtime. This could have easily been a tight 90-minutes.
That being said, if you want to watch a film just for the technical aspects alone, The Visitor (2025) is worth a watch.