directed by Renars Vimba, coming-of-age drama, 106 min, eng subtitles
written by Renars Vimba
with Elina Vaska, Edgars Samitis, Zane Janèevska, Andžejs Lilientals, Ruta Birgere
In his compelling and visually-sophisticated debut feature, director Renārs Vimba tackles the delicate theme of coming-of-age and rises to the challenge of telling the story through the eyes of a young girl. Through loneliness, disillusionment and the experience of first love the character of Raya is defined, a 17-year-old living in rural Latvia with her paternal grandmother and her little brother Robis. After the grandmother dies suddenly, Raya decides to conceal her death to avoid losing their home. She takes charge of her brother and the household, assuming the role of an adult. Despite both teenagers' efforts to pretend that nothing has happened, things get out of control. Robis discovers Raya's relationship with her teacher and he starts to challenge her authority. Raya then seeks the advice of their elusive mother who is living in London.
Awards:
Berlin IFF 2016 (Generation 14+ The Crystal Bear for Best Feature Film)