2025 | Fiction | 92 min. | Russia
When a rocket science student finds out about a family emergency, he must go on a journey home to a remote village, risking his dream of space for the sake of his family and loved ones.
Directors Statement
I once watched a documentary about a village buried in sand in the far-off Arctic. I was immediately captivated by the extraordinary juxtaposition of the Arctic landscape and the sand dunes. I thought about people who were born and raised in this village and left for the mainland. Most importantly, I wanted to relate it to my own experience. Like the main character of the film, I was born in a small town in the south of the Urals and left at 16 to study in St. Petersburg. I understand how places you grew up in often pull you back: everything is familiar and your family lives there. But new prospects, goals and dreams also emerge in the big city, pulling you in a completely different direction. This is where the story begins. What will make the hero return, leaving his dreams far behind? Is it worth returning and betraying the dream? The story emerges from this choice. What you see on the screen was filmed in Shoyna and St Petersburg. The film shows exactly how it is written in the script. It gives a completely different sense of reality and texture. Shooting on location in Shoyna gave the image the necessary roughness and volume. When I had finished writing the first version of the script, I showed it to Dasha Ekamasova immediately and told her that I would like her to play the mother. She was inspired by the story, the setting and the part. Casting the lead role was very difficult. We needed someone who was simple yet intelligent, thoughtful and dreamy. During the casting process, we found two suitable candidates, each of whom had their own unique beauty. It was one of the most difficult moments, as we had to choose one of them. This person would embody the hero on screen and become the bearer of meaning and inherent energy. Mark Eidelstein caught my attention the most with his energy. He breaks through the screen with his light. Pasha, Mark Eidelstein's character, is a student who dreams of space.
Director: Anton Mamykin
Producer: Ivan Iakovenko
Сast: Mark Eydelshteyn and Darya Ekamasova
Studios: Bosfor Pictures, LLC "ALASKAFILM" and Volga
