STOP-ZEMLIA

This film revolves around introverted 16-year-old Masha. She, Yana and Senya form their own clique. Secretly, Masha is in love with her classmate Sasha. Circumstances for the films main characters are very different: Masha's parents are outspoken and wealthy, Sasha is in a constant conflict with his single mother, and Senya is traumatised by the war. Employing a loose narrative, Gornostai manages to capture the moment on the threshold of adulthood with both sensitivity and understanding, which is all the more impressive considering that the actors are amateurs who improvised the dialogues.