Directed by Kateryna Gornostai • 2021 • Ukraine

A stunning addition to the canon of coming-of-age dramas, Kateryna Gornostai’s debut film is a tender and authentic portrait of teenagers in contemporary Ukraine, produced shortly before the Russian invasion. At the heart of the story is 16-year-old Masha, introverted and sensitive, and her fellow outsiders Yana and Senia. When Masha falls in love with her aloof classmate Sasha, she learns painful lessons about both herself and her generation’s place in conflict-ridden Ukraine. Blending documentary elements with naturalistic drama, this is bracingly frank and compassionate filmmaking.

STOP-ZEMLIA • СТОП-ЗЕМЛЯ
Written and directed by Kateryna Gornostai
Cinematography by Oleksandr Roshchyn
Music by Maryana Klochko
Starring: Maria Fedorchenko, Arsenii Markov, Yana Isaienko

In Ukrainian with English subtitles

Winner of the Crystal Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival 2021