When Lightning Flashes Over the Sea

A dual portrait of young drifters on the streets of Odessa, where every day seems the same and the future keeps getting further away.

During the final winter of WWII, as displaced persons return to their former homes in the Soviet Union, an 8-year-old boy is left alone when his mother dies en route.

1905. A Jewish Shtetl. Shimek and Buzya are two 10 year olds. Of course, she is a princess and he is a prince. They live in the same yard, in neighboring palaces. What Buzya really means to him, Shimek begins to understand only years later when, far away from home, when he receives the news that Buzya is about to be married off.

A day in the life of a mother and her daughter, who have already reached a stage in life where their age difference is barely noticeable. One day, the two are visited by a young official who quite unwittingly makes the mother feel young again, and so she decides to set out for a walk by the river together with her daughter. It becomes increasingly clear to both of them that the best days of their lives are past and that they make a ludicrous impression wherever they go. However, they somehow keep their spirits up and try to enjoy this last walk together. They both know that this is the very last of the ‘grand days’ of their lives.

The film documents the life of one of the oldest and largest European markets. Passion on both sides of the counter, loaders’ dreams, hidden fantasies of fish sellers… Security guards and flea market manager share their thoughts about the universe and the meaning of life. The past, the present, the future, and other gypsy predictions, “the most correct weight” and generous portions on trial. There are all the kinds of town folks at the Pryvoz. They are exposed and revealed! Everybody comes here, and everyone finds something to him/herself. Someone who searches for miracles or metamorphoses – in destiny, human soul, and time – also would not go out of there with empty hands.