Eva Neymann’s first feature film is placed in today’s Ukraine. It is about a day in the life of a mother and her daughter who have already reached a stage in life where their age difference is barely noticeable. One day the two are visited by a young official who quite unwittingly makes the mother feel young again and, so, she decides to set out for a walk by the river together with her daughter.
It becomes increasingly clear to both of them that the best days of their lives are past and that they make a ludicrous impression wherever they go. However, they somehow keep their spirits up and try to enjoy this last walk together. They both know that this is the very last of the ‘grand days’ of their lives.
The film is inspired by short stories by Friedrich Gorenstein (author of Tarkovsky’s Solaris) and is about the real values and meaning of life, whether for young or old. The director observes the meaning of the winter of life through the eyes of the two women and she turns out to be an excellent, emphatic and sensitive observer of human nature, specifically of the female soul. (LC)
- Director
- Eva Neymann
- Premiere
- World premiere
- Country of production
- Ukraine
- Year
- 2007
- Festival Edition
- IFFR 2007
- Length
- 84'
- Medium
- 35mm
- Original title
- U reki
- Language
- Russian
- Producer
- Alexander Tkachenko
- Production Company
- Odessa Film Studio
- Sales
- Odessa Film Studio
- Screenplay
- Sergei Chetvertkov, Eva Neymann, based on stories by Friedrich Gorenstein
- Cinematography
- Alexej Ubeyvolk
- Editor
- Irina Blogerman
- Production Design
- Vladimir Jevsikov
- Sound Design
- Jefim Turezki
- Cast
- Nina Ruslanova, Marina Polizeymako