How to Divorce During the War

Name: How to Divorce During the War
Genre: Drama
Released: 2026-01-26
Rating: 100
Cast: Marius Repsys, Zygimante Elena Jakstaite, Amelija Adomaitytė, Indre Patkauskaite, Gintare Parulyte

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2:00

Aug 2026

1h 48m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

24 Reviews

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0 Ratings

Vilnius, 2022. High-flying executive Marija (Zygimante Elena Jakstaite) chooses the worst possible moment to inform her husband Vytas (Marius Repsys) she wants a divorce: just one day before Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Suddenly the couple must navigate the process of separation as it collides with a refugee and mid-life crisis. A struggling film director, Vytas is put into a tight spot by having to move in with his Russophile parents, while Marija struggles to find her footing as the war affects both her business and home life. As the reason for the divorce gradually becomes clear, the dissolution of Marija and Vytas' marriage creates conflicts and opportunities for both of them, while also affecting their ever-observant young daughter Dovile. Packed with surprises along with much heartache and soul searching, Andrius Blaževičius' nuanced and timely family drama--winner of the World Cinema Best Director award at Sundance 2026--skillfully depicts the fallout of a marriage against the backdrop of extraordinary events with humor and compassion.

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Zachary Barnes

Wall Street Journal

That all this lands with both real feeling and a darkly comic edge owes in large part to the committed, human-scaled work of the actors, portraying essentially self-involved people who are called, by broader circumstances, beyond themselves.

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Wilson Chapman

IndieWire

B+

The results are sometimes dramatic but often dryly amusing, capturing the leads’ cushy lives and their often warped sense of altruism in a series of droll vignettes.

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Matt Zoller Seitz

RogerEbert.com

16h

3/4

The entire thing seems more an anecdote than a fully satisfying movie once we hit the last scene and the credits roll. But it’s an anecdote with a perfect punchline.

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Al Alexander

Movies Thru the Spectrum

13h

B-

What comes through, although not nearly enough, is the film’s suggestion that there’s no greater threat to us all than complacency. Just try telling that to all the placates who’d rather remain autonomous than grow a spine.

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Todd Jorgenson

Cinemalogue

15h

Bolstered by strong performances, it offers a subtle contemporary probe of intimacy, contentment, and resilience.

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Sarah Boslaugh

TheArtsStl

17h

7/10

How to Divorce During the War is a low-key film for grownups that hides stern social criticism beneath the realistic portrayal of everyday lives.

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Andrius Blazevicius

Director

Marius Repsys

Vytas

Zygimante Elena Jakstaite

Actor

Amelija Adomaitytė

Actor

Indre Patkauskaite

Actor

Gintare Parulyte

Actor

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Synopsis

Director: Andrius Blazevicius
Producer: Marija Razgute
Screenwriter: Andrius Blazevicius
Distributor: Kino Lorber
Production Co: M-Films
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Lithuanian
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 21, 2026, Limited
Runtime: 1h 48m

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How to Divorce During the War

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