Russian Film Week: Short Film Selection #2

Russian Film Week: Short Film Selection #2

A selection of films competing for the Best Short Golden Unicorn Award –  mostly by young filmmakers, winners and participants of international film festivals.

Farewell, my love! / Прощай, любимый!
Director: Alexander Tsypkin,Ksenia Rappoport

Farewell, my love! A monologue with an unforeseen finale. Perhaps the most honest account of what women whose husbands leave them for a younger mistress experience.

MUTE (GUA nomination)
Director: Nikita Vlasov

Following his mother’s sudden death little Sasha is left to live with his deaf father, who is now faced with a challenge: to make his son feel heard.

The shimmering/ Мерцание (GUA nomination)
Director: Ksenia Zueva

Two complete strangers  meet each other at the dramatic and sad funeral of a very young man. They are affected by the strong feelings and emotions caused by death and they find themselves in the same bed, experiencing an inexplicably  strong attraction to each other. They will spend several passionate days and nights together in one apartment, in a strange erotic adventure, isolated from the world and reality, during which they will have a complete rethink of life, each in their own way. Until, finally, one of them realises that the obsession has led them too far, and the adventure takes a dangerous turn. Perhaps one of them is not who they seem and poses a threat.

It/ Оно (GUA nomination)
Director: Ilya Sherstobitov

N city, Crimea, present day. Seva and transsexual Jenya are lovers who have been secretly seeing each other for a long time. Seva is really serious and wants to get to know Dima – Jenya’s teenage  son. Dima goes in for boxing, actively participating in fights with his friends. He persecutes those who are different. After spending the night with Jenya, Seva goes outside to start the car when he meets Dima with his bullies. Suspecting Seva of being a homosexual they beat him violently stopping only when they hear Jenya screaming.

The tree/ Дерево (GUA nomination)
Director: Hava Mukhiyeva

North Causacus, 1994.
Hava and Adam live next door and like their parents are friends. The children pass  letters to each other, hiding them in a tree hollow. They love the tree and confide their secrets to it. They are dreamers living in their fantasy world. Aslan, Adam’s father, runs a business in town and comes back to the village one day. Sultan, Hava’s father, like many other of their neighbours, is happy for his success and celebrates his coming home. Unfortunately not all of the villagers share these feelings…

Wings/ Крылья (GUA nomination)
Director: Zurab Dzhidzhilava

The collapse of the USSR did not pass without bloodshed. In some republics, including Lithuania, there were clashes between the local civilians and the Soviet military. The drama takes place on  a Soviet airliner where the stewardess is trying to save those on board from a terrorist and also at the same time to save her relationship with her husband.

Q&A Alexander Tsypkin (director of Goodbye, my love), Ksenia Zueva (director of The shimmering), Khava Mukhieva (director of The tree)