Stop-Zemlia / Стоп-Земля
Ukraine 2021
Directed by Kateryna Gornostai, drama, 122 min, eng subtitles, 16+
Written by Kateryna Gornostai
With Maria Fedorchenko, Arsenii Markov, Yana Isaienko, Oleksandr Ivanov
Introverted high-school girl, Masha, sees herself as an outsider unless she hangs around with other outsiders, her two classmates Yana and Senia. While navigating the emotional turmoil of waiting for life to begin and dealing with the pressures of the pre-graduation year, Masha falls in love in a way that forces her out of her comfort zone.
Set to a softly pulsating electronic score, Stop-Zemlia unfurls a delicate landscape of coming of age, finely balanced between moments of lightness and sadness, reality and dreams. Blurring the lines between documentary and fiction, this is a remarkable debut from Ukrainian director, Kateryna Gornostai, telling a deeply personal story about self-discovery and the patience it requires.
The film was presented in Berlinale's Generation 14plus sidebar.
Awards:
Berlin IFF 2021 (Crystal Bear - Generation 14plus Best Feature Film)
Odesa IFF 2021 (Grand Prix, Best Acting)