Tribute to Antonian Mantas Kvedaravicius (1976 – 2022)

We are deeply saddened to hear that Antonian Mantas Kvedaravicius (MPhil Social Anthropology 2005), Lithuanian filmmaker and anthropologist, was killed while reportedly filming the escalating violence in the besieged city of Mariupol last week. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.

Kvedaravicius, 45, was known for his 2016 documentary, Mariupolis, which won Best Documentary at the Lithuanian Film Awards, as well as receiving commendations at the Berlin, Hong Kong and Stockholm film festivals. The film-maker also directed the 2011 award-winning documentary Batzakh, on Russia’s war in Chechnya.

After completing his MPhil at Oxford, Mantas obtained a PhD in social anthropology from the University of Cambridge, and was an Associate Professor at Vilnius University. He had strong ties with the city of Mariupol, having spent extensive time there filming for Mariupolis.

Friends and colleagues of Mantas have paid tribute to the filmmaker recalling his “independent spirit” and “authenticity”.   

Dr Bob Parkin, his supervisor at the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, writes:
“I supervised Mantas for his MPhil degree in Oxford in 2006-7. He was a profoundly talented and dedicated scholar who was fully in tune with contemporary anthropology and was not afraid to broach difficult issues. Later this led him into activism of various kinds, including film-making in difficult places and on difficult subjects, an activism to which he dedicated and ultimately sacrificed his life. He will leave an unfillable gap in pursuing the issues that were close to his heart.“

Professor Roger Goodman, Warden of St Antony’s College, writes:

“Mantas was a much loved and highly respected member of the St Antony’s community. His brutal and tragic death reminds us just how much we are all affected by the terrible atrocities which are taking place on a daily basis in Ukraine. He will be greatly missed by all those who knew him and his extraordinary work.“

The University’s response to the war in Ukraine as well as advice and support for staff and students impacted can be found here: https://www.ox.ac.uk/news-and-events/university-response-invasion-ukraine