Katja Fedulova

At the age of 21, Vasily Vlasov became the youngest parliamentarian in the Russian Duma. Given his abundant confidence and self-assured manner, he could have been a refreshing new voice.

The film shows how the famous Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov reflects the events taking place in Russia in his works. We will see his whole career - from the first successes in the theater to feature films. We will see that the rise and fall of the director’s star is also a reflection of Russian cultural policy: from the short flowering of artistic freedom under Medvedev to a conservative culture, backed by authoritarian measures.

"Behind every strong man is a strong woman!", Mumine shouts as her husband is arrested. She has 4 children, she's in her mid-30s, and she's the wife of a Crimean Tatar political prisoner. Muslim Crimean Tatars have been oppressed for a long time. They were deported under Stalin, allowed to return under Gorbachev, and since the occupation of Crimea in 2014 under Putin, they are being persecuted again. "Return" is a portrait of Mumine and Maye, two strong women struggling with the consequences of oppression. Their traditional understanding of their role as women does not stand in the way of their dedication. They possess strength, beauty and dignity. Only in their most intimate moments, they are overwhelmed by desperate helplessness.

Gor's escape takes 48 hours. The 13-year-old is behind the wheel himself to bring his large family to safety. In Armenia, Gor is therefore celebrated as a hero. In his new home he can now fulfill his big dream: becoming a hairdresser.

Following a 20-year absence, acclaimed filmmaker Katja Fedulova returns home to reconcile her grandmother's heroic war efforts with the country she left behind. Inserting herself into the narrative, Fedulova asks: Are there still heroines in Putin's Russia?