BIX Almost Nirvana (2025)

The BIX rock bar in Vilnius was designed by Saulius Urbonavičius-Samas, the leader of the influential rock band BIX, formed in Šiauliai in 1987. The film incorporates archival concert footage from the 1990s to depict the era. This new account portrays BIX’s spirited and unconventional nature, which once took Samas and the band to West Berlin for a performance alongside Nirvana. Samas, also a painter and karate enthusiast, was monitored and suppressed by the KGB and played a key role in initiating the punk movement as a protest against Soviet limitations. He and his friends, including teacher Grikis, recorded unauthorized music in defiance of the authorities.