Before leaving Russia and moving to Western Europe, famous opera singer Lyuba travels to her hometown to say goodbye and show her teenage son around. But Andrey, Lyuba’s son, disappears and she must stay in the place she hates the most to search for him. A piercing exploration of identity and transformation, against the backdrop of a Russian hinterland, surrounded by Orthodox churches and snow.
Acting
Rappoport's descent from control to animal desperation.
Cinematography
Snow that swallows people whole.
Direction
Serebrennikov's theatrical precision meets raw grief.
Director
Kirill Serebrennikov
Kseniya Rappoport
Lyubov Vasilyeva
Roman Shmakov
Andrei Vasilyev
Sergey Sosnovsky
'Sharyy' Sergeyev
Sergey Medvedev
Andrey 'Monakh'
Igor Khripunov
Andrei (Kind)
Vladislav Abashin
Manager
Dmitriy Podnozov
Polizist
Robert Vaab
Arseniys Vater
German Orlov
Fyodorovitch
Juris Lauciņš
Ulyana Lukina
Olga Onishchenko
Natalya Batrak
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The title references both a spring festival celebrating nature's return AND a feast day for the deceased—Serebrennikov weaponizes this duality.
The monastery's real monks refused to act; Serebrennikov cast non-professionals, capturing authentic spiritual discomfort that professional actors couldn't fake.
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