3500+ Films - 2.5 million words – 1 million viewers! Founder and Curator Carmela selects some of our most powerful films about Russia at We Are Moving Stories including the films of actor/writer Margarita Zhitnikova and short drama and features about Russian women and by Russian women directors; the past; Ukraine and Chechnya.
Total length of this section: 22 films.
<THE FILMS OF ACTOR/WRITER MARGARITA ZHITNIKOVA>
2 Weeks - When 20-something-year-old Tanya begins to realize she’s asexual, the highly charged sexualized world she lives in as an actress and partner begins to fall apart and feels more and more like an unbearable nightmare. Length: 8.05 minutes. Writer Margarita Zhitnikova:
“I wanted to create representation and to further the conversation around asexuality, an identity that is rarely acknowledged, which leaves people feeling isolated. In general, our society wants everything in little understandable binary boxes: good or bad, sexy or ugly, smart or stupid, cool kid or freak. This way of thinking forces people to repress their authentic selves in order to fit in.”
Jones - Aware that her drinking has become destructive, Jones takes a go at living the sober life. Not wanting to be someone else’s problem, she pushes away help and comes face to face with herself and her lack of control. Length: 8 minutes 32 seconds. Director Stacey Maltin:
“I came on board to direct Jones when my production company co-founder, Margarita Zhitnikova (they/them) came to me and said they wanted to make this story which explores their personal journey with sobriety. I wanted to help in any way I could bring the story to life in a relatable and compelling way. I wanted to make sure that I could deliver on the cinematic side so Margarita could focus exclusively on diving into the psyche of the lead role.”
<RUSSIAN WOMEN>
Little Potato - Struggling to survive in the USSR during the turbulent years of Perestroika, Elena and her young gay son escape into the world of pirated American movies. But soon the movies are not enough and Elena decides to become a mail-order-bride and discover America for herself. Length: 14 minutes. Producer Mischa Jakupcak and Mel Eslyn:
“I’d just like to thank you for featuring our film and for the work you do in your website. It’s a lot of work to make independent films, and it’s wonderful to have sites like yours that help spread the word so that others can find films and filmmakers that interest them.”
Son Of Sofia - Athens, 2004 summer Olympic Games. 11-year-old Misha arrives from Russia to live with his mother, Sofia. What he doesn’t know is that there is a father waiting for him there. Length: 111 minutes. Length: 54 minutes. Writer/Director Elina Psykou:
“The feedback always gives you a different point of view about the movie. Listening to what somebody understands or feels having seen the film, is great. It’s so satisfying when you see that your movie creates so many different emotions, some of which you never even thought about…”
Elina - is a period drama that follows the principal ballerina of a Russian dance company, on tour in 1960s America, who is trying to decide whether or not to defect. Length: 12 minutes. Director Maria Forsythe:
“Elina is a unique film that uses the historical context of Soviet Union ballerinas to tell the stories of women who sacrifice everything for the sake of their art. I think it is an important and challenging message that hopefully inspires all of the audience members to pursue their passions as well as their truths.”
Échappé - While on tour in 1970, a Soviet ballerina learns of her brother’s plan to defect. Length: 12 minutes 48 seconds. Writer/Director Allison Mattox:
““Échappé” is a period thriller that offers a glimpse into the world of classical ballet. With the current immigration crisis, and tensions between the U.S. and Russia at the highest they have been since the Cold War, the film also draws interesting parallels to life under another oppressive regime.”
Odd One Out - A Russian mother and her queer son try to cope with their new situation, as the son, a political activist and radical artist, applies for political asylum in Europe. Length: 54 minutes. Writer/Director Reetta Aalto:
“The film provides a viewpoint onto some very current human rights issues in our world right now and unravels some of our perceptions of what it’s like to be Russian, refugee or queer, and does it in an emotionally compelling way.”
Hostage - Alex steals a car from a Parisian suburb. To his surprise, in the back seat there’s Lola, a 10 year-old Russian girl. Alex finds it difficult to get rid of Lola because she outsmarts him every time and thus the hunter becomes the prey. Length: 14 minutes. Director: Laura Melange:
“With all that’s happening in Europe in respect to immigration issues. I wanted to create a story reminding us not to judge a book by its cover.”
The Last Empress of Fashion - True life story of a woman who was born into a poor family but built a $100M fashion empire in 1/6 of the world, fought stage 3 cancer, survived the KGB plot to jail and kill her, fled to Italy with the help of a KGB spy and finally was elected as an ambassador of Made In Italy. Length: 90 minutes. Director/Executive Producer Gala Pawl:
“The main reason is that it’s impossible to ever find a true story like this again – it’s so unique that missing it would be a crime. And this story gave me a whole number of reasons to invest my time and efforts into producing and directing it.”
<RUSSIAN WOMEN DIRECTORS>
God does exist, or Where Do Babies Come From - USSR, 1990s. Two little school girls are about to be accepted into The Pioneers. And exactly then they found the Kama-Sutra and realized that grownups lied to them about where babies come from. But Soviet Pioneer are honest people! And so the girls decide to act. Length: 10 minutes. Director/Producer Guzel Sultanova:
“If you want to laugh and at the same time to understand how young generations felt in the USSR’s crash-period and touch another culture, in particular Russia, you should watch my film.”
Beware of Dog - Three young adults experience parallel struggles with mental health and identity. In Moscow, a woman struggles with severe OCD, while her cousin in Berlin tries to build a romantic relationship ignoring her own bipolar disorder. Meanwhile, in New York City, a heartbroken boxer faces addiction and lack of self-worth in the aftermath of a break-up. Length: 1 hour 24 minutes. Writer/Director/Producer Nadia Bedzhanova:
“It is about now. It’s a personal and raw vision of everyday life portrayed by characters from different countries without any disguise. It’s my perception of the world that is on a verge of environmental and mental breakdown.”
Heroines - A young girl with blooming awareness, Nina, interacts with her crass neighbor who explains the tangled world of intimacy and love. Drawing from her own experiences, Nina understands more than she thought. Length: 7 minutes. Director Katia Badalian:
Beyond This Moment - A mother of two kids putting them to sleep before going to bed as well. She dreams of herself dancing and making art with her body. She is woken up by her kids and realizes it was just a dream. But one of the children sees a paint stain on her neck. She ran to her little garage studio and seeing a big fresh painted canvas hanging on the wall: was it just a dream or reality? Length: 8 minutes 50 seconds. Director/Actor Alyona Amato and Producer Erika Edwards:
“I always wanted to create a Dance Film as a choreographer. It is a completely different field of putting dance and film together. Beyond This Moment is my 1st Dance Film.”
Solo - 6 styles. 6 stories. One main protagonist: Dance. Length: 1 hour 26minutes. Writer/Director/Producer Ola Pankratova:
“We wanted to show not only new dance styles that are not really well known inside Russia, but also to showcase new heroes of our generation that are walking among us and day by day creating some very special art.”
The Lightest Darkness - When a neurotic private eye who struggles to finish the case takes a train voyage, his own dark secrets begin to reveal themselves. Length: 65-70 minutes. Director Diana Galimzyanova:
“Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Because it’s the first ever female-directed Russian film noir with reverse chronology, so you’re basically making a history while watching it. There’s no other film that fits the same template. ”
Solo - Only on stage does an old actor realize that he is ironically living the same tragic life of his character "Firs," from “The Cherry Orchard” by Anton Chekhov. Length: 18 minutes 55 seconds. Writer/Director Anya Elnikova:
“Thank you! Well, you can call this film “art therapy.” I was experiencing the loss of a loved one: my grandfather. It was a profound and new emotion for me and I didn’t know how to cope with it. The need to do this film came naturally as an expression of this void and the regret I was feeling, but also from the desire to infuse love and tenderness into the story.”
Life is Art - Even when the human soul is bound by the Russian regime it finds a way to transcend boundaries through the creation of art and connects the lives of those that view it. Length: 44 minutes. Writer/Director/Producer Oksana Sokol:
“It’s not often we meet people who have continuously pushed the boundaries of what defines a colourful and engaging life. The norm is the norm and we get on with our daily lives. I have always been intrigued to what makes a person at 80 still hungry to experience life, to want to see the unseen who still feels they have so much to express of themselves in the world whilst others are already done.”
<THE PAST>
Roadside Radiation. Strahlen der Heimat - With stories from the Chernobyl zone of alienation, ROADSIDE RADIATION portrays the fates of its past and present residents and researches the complex human consequences of the catastrophe: a place of collective loss but also of individual survival. Length: 55 minutes. Interview with Director Moritz Schulz and Producer Michael Sladek:
“The feedback towards our movie is overwhelmingly positive. We had some closed screenings as well as a world premiere just recently at the Big Sky festival in Missoula/MO. At each of these events the audience seemed mesmerized by the film and even days later many people contacted us to tell us how much the film affected them personally.”
<UKRAINE>
Breaking Point: The War for Democracy in Ukraine - The film is an intimate look at the war and revolution in Ukraine through the eyes of ordinary people who risked their lives to create a more democratic, independent country. Their lives were transformed by the tumultuous revolution on the Maidan, the Russian annexation of Crimea and war in eastern Ukraine that has killed over 10,000 people and left 1.9 million refugees. Length: 98 minutes. Writer/Director Mark Jonathan Harris:
“I’d like the film to increase awareness of the threats to democracy throughout the world and how propaganda and disinformation can distort and erode the democratic process.”
Freedom or Death! - American filmmaker Damian Kolodiy travels to Kyiv, Ukraine to document the brutal 2014 insurrection from the streets, as the people of Ukraine spontaneously rise up against their corrupt and oppressive government, going to war in the pursuit of a better future. Length: 75 minutes. Director/Producer Damian Kolodiy:
“This film will shock and inspire you. Seeing regular people willing to risk their lives for the idea of freedom and in the face of incredible physical danger in a true street revolution is absolutely gripping to watch. Understanding the events in the region and how they factor into the geo-political situation vis a vis Russia and the US is also worth being educated about.”
<CHECHNYA>
HotDocs / DocPlanet Warsaw 2019 – Daymohk - A film about the Chechen dance group. Length: 1 hour 25 minutes. Director Masha Novikova:
“I knew Daymohk for many years. In the time of the war, I was there in Grozny shooting for the film of Jis de Putter. Life has changed and I came back. I find it hard how they are living now.”
Bound - An oppressed gay man transcends the horrors of his reality. His acceptance of who he is, his resilience and the love he’s experienced empowers him to resist his oppressors. Length: 3 minutes. Oli Cohen, Nicolas Blanco:
“While working in documentary with organisations such as Human Rights Watch I met victims of torture face to face. Being drawn to social realism I wanted to tell a story grounded in truth that involved tragedy, injustice and suffering yet countered with beauty, love and resilience.
The film was also inspired by the recent horrific anti-gay purges in Chechnya.”