The Lithuanian 4×52’ documentary series Hijacked Life revisits one of the most extraordinary and disturbing true stories of the Cold War era: the first hijacking of a Soviet plane. The project, directed by Andrius Lekavičius, was pitched at this year’s MIA Market.
The premise of Lekavičius’s docuseries takes place in 1970, when Lithuanian petty criminal Pranas Brazinskas hijacked a Soviet Aeroflot flight with his 15-year-old son Algirdas, killing a stewardess and forcing the plane to land in Trabzon, Turkey. The act sparked an international standoff, with Turkey refusing Soviet extradition and the pair becoming Cold War pawns.
Aided by the Lithuanian diaspora, they later escaped through Rome and Caracas, reaching the United Statesin 1976. But freedom soon soured: living under new identities, Pranas grew paranoid and controlling, while Algirdas—trapped in fear and dependency—finally killed his father in 2002. Convicted of second-degree murder, he served 20 years in a Californian prison before his release in 2023, still haunted by a hijacking that defined his life.
“Hijacked Life tells the extraordinary true story of the first Soviet hijackers — a father and son whose quest for freedom turned into a lifelong exile,” says producer Jurgita Rakauskaitė (Make It Happen). “In 1970, Pranas and Algirdas Brazinskas seized an Aeroflot plane and fled the USSR, becoming both heroes and outcasts. Their escape led them through Turkey, the Vatican, Venezuela, and the United States, but instead of peace, they found fear and isolation. Over three decades, the bond that once united them slowly unravelled, ending in tragedy when the son killed his father. Blending investigation, cinematic storytelling, and striking visuals, Hijacked Life explores how the dream of freedom can slowly transform into a prison of its own.”
“We’re looking for co-production partners and a sales agent,” adds Rakauskaitė, noting that the project’s international scope and historical complexity call for strong creative and financial collaboration across borders. The Lithuanian Film Center, LRT and the Lithuanian division of Telia Play are already on board.
Born in Vilnius in 1984, director Andrius Lekavičius is a versatile media storyteller. “He is known for directing documentary features and docuseries that have captivated a wide audience with their compelling narratives,” explains Rakauskaitė. “A dedicated runner, Andrius trains his stamina through marathons to stay focused during long filmmaking projects. He is also an alumnus of Berlinale Talents and IDFAcademy.”
The cinematography will be handled by DoP Saulius Lukoševičius. A graduate of the AFI Conservatory, he has worked worldwide on films and commercials known for their daring environments—from the frozen Trans-Siberian to active volcanoes in Indonesia and the ruins of Chernobyl. Selected for Berlinale Talents in 2012 and a member of the Lithuanian Association of Cinematographers since 2013, he received its Best Cinematography Award in 2017. “His films have screened globally, earning recognition from the European Film Awards, Student Academy Awards, Italian Academy Awards, and Lithuanian Film Awards,” underscores Rakauskaitė.
The series’ creative vision seeks to probe the moral ambiguities of the Brazinskas story through a mix of archival footage, interviews, and carefully designed visual storytelling.
“The creative vision is guided by a desire to delve into the perplexities of human nature and moral choices,” the producer continues. “A blend of captivating storytelling, rich archival footage, insightful interviews, and sensitive re-enactments will be employed to bring this stranger-than-fiction narrative to life.”
“Visually, the film will leverage the power of archival material to transport viewers back in time. In addition to this historical footage, the film will also incorporate contemporary interviews with key figures in the Brazinskas’ story, including Algirdas himself, his two ex-wives, prosecutors in the US, and relatives in Lithuania. These testimonies will provide a nuanced understanding of the events and the people involved, offering a multitude of perspectives to create a multi-faceted narrative.”
She adds that the stylistic approach will blur the line between memory and reconstruction, using cinematic language to convey the psychological and emotional truth of the story.
“We want to take archive footage from the 70s, 90s, and 2000s and combine it with the reconstruction to obtain the fiction scene from a viewpoint of our main character,” she explains. “However, these won’t be straightforward re-enactments; they will be carefully crafted from Algirdas’ perspective, designed to invite the audience into his personal experience, to understand the pressures and fears he lived through. These scenes’ integration will be tested in the development stage to ensure they seamlessly blend with the overall narrative structure.”
With its layered narrative, international backdrop, and exploration of father-son dynamics against the broader Cold War context, Hijacked Life promises to deliver a gripping and visually striking reflection on the meaning – and the cost – of freedom.
