My Granny from Mars

Alexander Mihalkovich / Belarus, Ukraine, Estonia / 2018 / World Premiere / 83 min.

synopsis

Babushka Zina is originally Ukrainian, but because of the current political situation she has remained in Russian-occupied Crimea. Separated from her family, she lives in a forgotten seaside town while trying to decide whether to stay or to leave. The sounds of Russian contemporary music and folk songs add to the atmosphere of her exile town, which is seen through a sensitive lens filled with sentimentality. But the consequences of the unsatisfactory political situation are ever-present in this place, which is like a different planet. The way in which the director records Zina’s relationship to her friends and family betrays a deep respect for this old woman, her life wisdom, and her experiences.

"After the annexation of Crimea my old Ukranian granny Zina had to face the fact of living on a 'new planet'. For many reasons, the time has come for her to make a crucial decision." A. Mihalkovich

biography

Alexander Mihalkovich (1984) hails from Minsk, Belarus. In 2016, he graduated from the DocNomads international study programme. His focus as a filmmaker is on long-term projects towards which he feels a close personal relationship. After creating several short documentary films, he is making his feature film debut with My Granny from Mars, which won the Docu Talent Award in 2018.