Galway Film Society

Elena

Director: Andrei Zvyagintsev
2011 / Russian / 109 mins
Language: Russian

Andrey Zvyagintsev’s new film is a sharp, bitterly comic story of crystalline clarity about the moral and spiritual corruption of present-day Russia. A middle-aged former nurse, Elena, exploited by the boorish lay about son of her first marriage, is married to a wealthy retired businessman Vladimir, who is despised by the idle, estranged daughter of his previous marriage. Vladimir will do anything for his daughter, but will give nothing to Elena’s family, who live in a cramped flat and need money so their lazy teenage son can get into university instead of going into the army. When Vladimir has a heart attack at his gym, he decides he’ll make a will leaving everything to his daughter. Elena has a better idea, the consequences of which account for the tensions and irony in the second half of the film. It’s a gripping, resonant tale, and Nadezhda Markina is outstanding as Elena, and far more sympathetic than perhaps she should be. - Philip French / The Observer

Winner – Special Jury Prize, Un Certain Regard, Cannes Film Festival 2011