Sundance Winner How to Divorce During the War Heads to Theaters August 21

A marriage unravels against the backdrop of global uncertainty in Sundance-winning drama How to Divorce During the War.

Sundance Winner How to Divorce During the War Heads to Theaters August 21

Zeitgeist has announced an August 21 theatrical release for How to Divorce During the War, the latest feature from Lithuanian filmmaker Andrius Blaževičius and winner of the Best Director award in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.

The dark comedy blends intimate family drama with larger geopolitical events, exploring what happens when a marriage falls apart during a moment of historic uncertainty.

Set in Vilnius, Lithuania, in 2022, the story follows high-powered executive Marija, played by Zygimante Elena Jakstaite, who decides to tell her husband Vytas, played by Marius Repsys, that she wants a divorce just one day before Russia launches its invasion of Ukraine.

What begins as a personal crisis quickly becomes intertwined with a rapidly changing world around them.

As refugees arrive and anxieties spread throughout the region, the couple attempts to navigate separation while their lives continue to unravel in unexpected ways.

Vytas, a struggling filmmaker, is forced to move back in with his Russophile parents, while Marija attempts to balance mounting professional pressures with an increasingly unstable home life. Their young daughter Dovile quietly observes the changes unfolding around her as both parents struggle to adapt to their new reality.

As the reasons behind the divorce gradually come into focus, the film examines the emotional consequences of separation while balancing moments of humor, heartache, and self-discovery.

Director Andrius Blaževičius uses the extraordinary backdrop of a neighboring war to tell a deeply human story about relationships, identity, and the ways global events can reshape even the most personal decisions.

The film has already earned significant recognition after taking home the Best Director prize at Sundance earlier this year.

Rather than focusing solely on political events, How to Divorce During the War appears to center on how uncertainty impacts everyday people and the difficult choices they make when their personal lives collide with world events.

Zeitgeist will release How to Divorce During the War in theaters beginning August 21.

Official Synopsis

Vilnius, 2022. High-flying executive Marija chooses the worst possible moment to tell her husband Vytas she wants a divorce: one day before Russia's invasion of Ukraine. As war reshapes the world around them, the couple must navigate separation, family tensions, and a changing reality while trying to build new futures for themselves and their daughter.