Every year a lot of shooting takes place in Vilnius—the Lithuanian capital is a popular choice for both Lithuanian and foreign teams who come here to make films, commercials, and TV series. Let us take a look at some of the most interesting projects of 2024: you may have already seen them on screen, just like viewers from all over the world.
“Indochine” music video
“Indochine” is a French rock and new wave band formed in Paris in 1981. In the 1970s, it became popular in the Francophone world, Europe, and Latin America, and after a hiatus, it returned to its peak of popularity in 2002.
In 2024, the band brought its fans the single “Le chant des cygnes,” and they shot its video… yes, in Vilnius! Young people pass Balžio and Paneriškių streets on their road trip; you can also catch a glimpse of xxx.
In just six months, the video has already hit more than 6 million views on YouTube.
“Agent No. 24”
In 2023, the Lithuanian-Norwegian co-production “Agent Number 24” was shot in Vilnius. “Agent Number 24” was the nickname given to the Norwegian Gunnar Sønsteby, who led Europe’s most successful resistance group. Putting aside his personal life, forgoing women, alcohol, and leisure activities, he resisted the Gestapo of Nazi Germany for many years. Most of the film was shot in Lithuania, in Vilnius and Kaunas. For example, the Lithuanian Biomedical and Allied Sciences Library located on Kaštonų Street became the Oslo Parliament Building, near which a bomb exploded.
“When creating films set in Norway, we do not always shoot them here. Sometimes we look for similar-looking locations abroad, just like we did in this case. Part of Lithuania has a lot of similarities with Norway and Oslo in terms of its landscape and cities in terms of their architecture, and one can find impressive places here that can depict the early 19th century or even the Middle Ages,” the producer of the film “Agent Number 24,” Espen Horn, says.
The film will be premiering on Netflix on January 1st.
KFC commercial
We have already mentioned the fact that Vilnius is getting popular with teams looking for locations for commercials. A good recent example is the KFC commercial shot in Vilnius in 2024, which transformed the Lithuanian capital into a dystopian England. The commercial features Gediminas Avenue, Independence Square, Geležinio Vilko, Goštauto, Vilniaus Streets, and other landmarks. The video shows Vilnius flooded with crazy dancers in a trance-like state approaching a mysterious attraction.
Over a hundred Lithuanian film professionals and more than 200 actors, professional choreographers, and dancers from Paris and London worked on the truly impressive commercial.
“Whiskey on the Rocks”
Do you remember that in 2023 the political Swedish TV series “Whiskey on the Rocks” was also shot in the capital of Lithuania? The tense political drama takes you to the period of Ronald Reagan and Leonid Brezhnev’s leadership and the political crisis that arose during it, in 1981, due to a Soviet submarine stuck in the Swedish military protection zone. The shooting took place a year ago and turned the Lithuanian capital city into Stockholm.
For example, the wooden and Scandinavian-style buildings dotting the Žvėrynas neighborhood were transformed into a residential area of Stockholm, where the political characters of the series settled. Meanwhile, the Scandinavian-style Composers’ House, opened in Žvėrynas in 1966, is featured against the backdrop of important political decisions—in the series, the building serves as a work and recreation space for government representatives.
Besides Žvėrynas, Kaštonų Street, located in the city center, also played the Swedish capital. Historic cars zoomed around the Library of Medicine, and artificial rain was used to create the right atmosphere.
“Whiskey on the Rocks” will be available on Hulu and Disney+ in mid-January 2025.
“Sisi” Season 4
So far, “Sisi” has been shown in more than 120 countries, and a large part of the shooting took place in Vilnius, which was transformed into 19th-century Austria.
As in previous seasons, audiences around the world will once again see landmarks well-known to Lithuanians: the vicinity of Vilnius University, which has become the Hofburg Palace; the streets of the capital’s Old Town; as well as the Riešė Hippodrome located in the Vilnius district.
In the show’s final season, the audience sees the empress mourning her deceased father. To save Posenhofen Castle, her family home, she challenges the best Bavarian jockey, and after discovering a dark family secret, she will have to ask herself where her home really is.
All four seasons of the hugely popular TV series “Sisi” were shot in Vilnius. The fourth and final season was completed in 2024 and is already available on RTL+.
Although the fourth season is not yet available in Lithuania, we invite you to search for season 3 on Lithuanian film platforms!
„Wisting“
In the autumn of 2023, the criminal detective “Wisting” team returned to Vilnius for the fifth season. The results of their work can already be seen on various platforms, such as Amazon Prime and Apple TV!
One of the most expensive Norwegian TV series premiered in 2019, and was screened in other countries, including on BBC 4. The film’s protagonist is police detective William Wisting, played by Norwegian actor Sven Nordin. The first seasons were based on the best-selling books by writer Jørn Lier Horst. In 2021, the second season of the series “Wisting” was already filmed in Vilnius.
In the latest season, also shot in the Lithuanian capital, Wisting comes to Vilnius to try to figure out a mistake made by law enforcement—this is where unexpectedly discovered clues in the case lead him. The audience will see many well-known locations of Vilnius: the shooting took place at the “Narutis” Hotel, the “Saint Germain” restaurant, and the Lukiškės Prison, where investigators will come to talk to the convict.
