"Gates of the Lamb" – film by Audrius Stonys about baptism, funded by donations of the believers

In the program of Scanorama festival, which began on 6 November, particularly awaited is the latest film by the documentary film-maker Audrius Stonys, "Gates of the Lamb".

The idea of the film a few years ago came to vice-minister of St. Casimir province, brother Gediminas Numgaudis.  When he shared his idea with the famous director Audrius Stonys, he received a decided approval and the two of them got at once to work.

Filming was done not only in Lithuania. A. Stonys with the crew set out on a trip to Israel and Jordan, where they searched for the first Christian baptisteries in the forgotten desert towns. According to Stonys and brother Gediminas, they saw so much that it wouldn't fit into several films.

"With this film we wanted to touch, feel and get closer to the origins of mysterious sacrament of eternity – Baptism. We filmed the Jordan River waters, into which, showing us the way, plunged Jesus Christ; and the early Christian Baptistery stones which were touched by the hands of the first Christians. Most of us are baptised, but we rarely think, what is that water, what is that oil poured on the head, why and how this is done", – tells one of the most famous Lithuanian documentarians A. Stonys.

Brother Gediminas became not only the author of the idea for the film, but also the producer. "Gates of the Lamb" was produced without state support, all the money needed for the film were donated by the believers. In the meetings with church communities brother Gediminas told the idea of the future film for hundreds of times. According to the authors of the film, the main purpose of the "Gates of the Lamb" is not only to tell about the origin of the sacrament of Baptism, but to encourage people to think, talk, ask questions and look for answers, what is the role of Baptism in their own lives.