The Girl and the Echo
| Industry | Film production |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Soviet Union (Lithuania) |
| Products | Films |
The Girl and the Echo (; also known as The Last Day of Vacation in Lithuanian: Paskutinė atostogų diena) is a 1964 Soviet romantic drama helmed by director Arūnas Žebriūnas and produced by Lithuanian Film Studios. The narrative is adapted from Yury Nagibin's short story Echo, with Nagibin himself responsible for the screenplay.
Plot
Vika spends her final day at her fisherman grandfather's home, reluctant to leave despite her father's impending arrival. While her grandfather tends to his nets at sea, Vika explores the shoreline, immersing herself in nature and daydreaming about relationships.
Nearby, local children are choosing a new leader for their group. Vika uncovers the current leader's dishonesty—he concealed the marked crab, symbolizing the next leader, among rocks and discarded an unmarked crab into the water. By recovering the crab, she exposes his deceit. During this episode, she encounters Roman, a newcomer unfamiliar with the village. Vika befriends him and reveals her secret—the echoing voices trapped within the rocks.
As retaliation, the leader hides Vika’s dress while she bathes. Roman faces a challenge of loyalty but succumbs to peer pressure and does not return her dress, leaving her exposed and vulnerable. Vika accuses him of cowardice. Seeking redemption and acceptance, Roman leads the boys to the rocks, boasting about Vika’s echo; however, it remains silent. When Vika’s father arrives, he finds Roman upset after nearly being attacked for dishonesty. Together, they attempt to revive the echo but fail.
Feeling betrayed by Roman, Vika restores her trust in humanity by dialing random numbers from the village phone and extending good wishes to strangers.
Before leaving, she makes her father promise to come back next year. Roman, determined to prove his bravery following their conflict, retrieves a marked crab from the sea and presents it to Vika, declaring he is no longer afraid and intends to lead—but she withholds forgiveness.
Casting
- Lina Braknytė portrays Vika
- Valeryi Zubarev plays Roman
- Bronius Babkauskas appears as Vika's father
- Kaarel Karm acts as Vika's grandfather
Production
At age eleven, Lina Braknytė performed a nude swimming scene that later led to significant personal difficulties, including teasing at school. Despite these challenges, the film played a key role in establishing her early career recognition.
Awards
- Special Prize of the Jury, XVIII Locarno International Film Festival "Majority's Silver Sail" (1965)