In November, Kaunas turned into a film set. The city’s streets and facades were captured by the lenses of British and Norwegian film crews. This week in Laisvės Avenue and nearby areas – a six-part television series Honey is being filmed, transporting viewers to East Berlin in the 1980s. Renowned English producer Christopher Hall, who has created dozens of masterpieces throughout his career, did not hide his admiration for Kaunas’ interwar architecture.

This is not the first time Kaunas has been in the spotlight of foreign filmmakers. For example, the five-part HBO and Sky television series Chernobyl was filmed here.

In the spring of 2021, Kaunas received recognition at the Berlin International Film Festival ceremony – the Pažaislis Church and Monastery Ensemble was chosen as the best filming location in Europe for 2020.

This week, Kaunas residents felt as if they were on a movie set. Vintage cars bustled along Laisvės Avenue, and a legendary pharmacy was temporarily transformed into a 1980s East Berlin wedding dress shop. These are just a few highlights from the upcoming six-part television series Honey, which tells the story of a young, ambitious British spy in a city filled with political tension, counterintelligence, and dangerous relationships.

The thriller is created by Ch. Hall, who previously produced the series The Durrells, Bloodlands, and Day of the Jackal. One of the author’s best-known productions is The Lost World, starring Peter Falk, Bob Hoskins, James Fox, and Matthew Rhys.

The producer, who has worked in South Africa, New Zealand, Taiwan, Australia, Canada, and other countries around the world, said Honey filming crew searched for locations resembling East Berlin in the 1980s. Laisvės Avenue and other central city streets were a perfect fit. “Kaunas was reborn in the interwar period, and its unique architecture makes the city remarkable. For our series, we’re turning Laisvės Avenue into a street from that era, complete with vintage cars – something we could hardly do anywhere else in the world.“

Location scouting for the series Honey began at the beginning of the summer. The thriller is being filmed in three Lithuanian cities – Kaunas, Vilnius, and Klaipėda. According to the English producer, all of them share many similarities with Berlin.

Although the main roles in the series will be played by British actors, there will be no shortage of Lithuanian elements. The creator expressed his delight that in Lithuania he has the opportunity to cast more local actors than usual.

Ch. Hall also revealed that nearly 80 percent of the entire series budget will be allocated to filming in Lithuania.

“Lithuania is a suitable place for filming not only because of the available locations, but also due to financial factors. I believe this will be mutually beneficial. Productions like this increase international visibility, and people who learn about your wonderful country will want to come and see it in person. It’s a natural process,” the English producer Ch. Hall said with confidence.

The project is being produced by an award-winning creative team behind acclaimed series such as Killing Eve, The Durrells, and Extraordinary. The series is set to premiere on BBC and ZDF in 2026. This is a significant project that will showcase the Lithuanian cities of Kaunas, Vilnius, and Klaipėda as unique destinations to millions of viewers around the world, contributing to the visibility of the country’s cultural and creative industries.

Information by Public Relations Department

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