Lithuanian director Romas Zabarauskas has released a new crime film, marking his third installment in a trilogy centered around the queer community. The Activist (Aktyvistas) features themes of LGBTQ+ activism and adopts a dark, noir-inspired tone. The film explores queer experiences such as hate-fueled violence and extremist ideologies in Lithuania.
The story revolves around Andrius, a closeted queer man with a quiet passion for political activism. He becomes a pivotal figure in a hate-fueled assault leading to the death of his secret lover, Deividas, who was one of Lithuania’s most influential human rights activists. What begins as an awareness of LGBTQ+ violence soon unravels into darker undercurrents — the rise of neo-Nazi beliefs, extremist gangs, and radical mobilization. Through its plot, Andrius discovers that things may not be as friendly as they appear. The film explores how activism and visibility provoke reactions in a society still contending with far-right radicalism and anti-LGBTQ sentiment.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Zabarauskas described The Activist as “a film noir about love and revenge in a time of rising extremism.” He stated that he hopes to present The Activist as a story reflecting the Lithuanian sociopolitical landscape, using the thriller genre and a plot driven by guilt and revenge to highlight real-world fears and power dynamics that affect both queer people and society at large. The Activist will premiere internationally at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) on November 14, 2025. This follows Zabarauskas’s previous two films in the trilogy, The Lawyer (2020) and The Writer (2023).
The film builds on the tradition of “activist cinema.” It is not only meant to tell a story of violence but also to connect the systemic threats faced by queer people with the broader links between political extremism, identity, and safety.
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