The Cinematheque

New Restoration

“Muratova’s style is elegant but bold, using unusual, artful framing and editing techniques … [She] uses devices such as pushing characters right to the edge of frame and often obscuring our view of them to emphasise the distance between our protagonists and their awkward relationships.”

David Brook, Blueprint Review

Kira Muratova’s exquisite second feature follows the journey of an overbearing mother determined to keep her teenage son close to her, even as he yearns to reconnect with his estranged father. The story beautifully delves into the universal theme of adolescent growth and the challenges parents face in accepting their child’s independence. As the film nears its conclusion, we witness a touching shift in the relationship between parent and child, exposing a vulnerable and apprehensive woman who fears being alone. Insistent repetitions of particular words and phrases, a signature technique in Muratova’s scripts, is used here to great effect.

In Russian with English subtitles