Ksenia Gapchenko

Marusya is 16 and, like many Russian teenagers, is determined to end her life. Then she meets her soulmate in another millennial, Kimi. They spend a decade filming the euphoria and anxiety, the happiness and misery of their youth, muzzled by a violent and autocratic regime in the midst of a “depressed Russia”. This film is a cry from the heart, a tribute to an entire silenced generation.

Maria Alexandrova and Vladislav Lantratov are international ballet superstars. Everything in their lives is connected to dance. Being on stage means everything to performers, no matter if it is a theatre in their city, the Bolshoi Theatre, or other famous venues. But their lives take a dramatic turn in the spring of 2019 when Masha and Vlad both get their Achilles tendons injured, she during rehearsal, and he — in the middle of an important premiere in front of a big audience. Their careers, beloved work, and the joy of routines are put on hold. The feet of the artists turn into independent characters, whom their owners address accordingly. “What if this time she doesn’t want to?” asks Maria Aleksandrova, an extraordinary ballet dancer, who is experiencing this trauma and recovery for the second time.

1.5 years after fleeing Russia for being queer, filmmaker Maksim Avdeev breaks the silence with their nationalist father over the phone.