Rain
Estonia 2020
Directed by Janno Jürgens, drama, 98 min, eng subtitles, 16+
Written by Janno Jürgens, Anti Naulainen
With Indrek Ojari, Rein Oja, Marcus Borkmann, Magdalena Popławska
The life of 11-year-old Atz changes when his much older brother Rain returns unexpectedly to the family home to confront their authoritarian father. Atz witnesses the clashes between the two introspective and stubborn men with differing views of the world, and the endlessly patient efforts of his emotionally starved mother to reconcile them. The mood changes when Rain falls for Aleksandra, a beautiful Slavic woman with a sketchy background, while Atz is drawn to his best friend´s older sister and to a mysterious red-headed girl next door…
Based on engaging performances and peculiar storytelling, Rain is a charming debut, which finds the delicate balance between comedy and drama to explore family relationships and taciturn masculinity as seen from the perspective of a thoughtful pre-teen boy.