There are a lot of places in the world that few people know about. There is little traffic there. Occasionally, a car arrives next to the shop, someone will get off and go for a beer and then it will leave with a screech of tires. An elderly woman walks for bread and a piece of sausage. A local drunk sits on a bench. Someone bustl around in the garden, a tractor from a nearby farm passes. Anglers meet over the river, where inhabitants come swimming in the summer. Only around the school you can hear shouts and laughter. There are no lights on the streets after dark and there's nothing to do. Many people would like to leave this place. There are those who dream of living in such a place.
Will reality is able to live up to dreams?
Is this a good place to be young here or to grow old here?
I don't show how the people live in such a place, don't show real sadness and joy or problems of everyday life. These are just images that reinforce the vision of such a place. They deceive. They draw you into a world we do not know. They are like mermaids calling a sailor at sea: come to us and stay. What will happen if I stay?
Užpaliai - a town in eastern Lithuania, situated on the Sventoji River. There are 1631 inhabitants in the commune, 836 women, 795 men, 214 children, 499 people up to 45 years old, 918 people after 45. There are three shops, a municipal office, a church, an Orthodox church, school, house of culture.
Drawings made by students of the middle school in Užpaliai.