CLOSENESS

Family relations intermingle with ethnic tensions in this stunning, disturbing debut from the young Russian filmmaker Kantemir Balagov.

Set in the late 1990s, in a Jewish enclave within a mostly-Muslim region of the Caucasus, Closeness centres on Ilana (Darya Zhovner), a free-spirited, tomboyish young woman who works in her father’s garage. But her family is rocked when her younger brother David and his fiancée are abducted, with the kidnappers demanding a steep price for their ransom. Ilana and her parents rule out involving the police. The question poses itself: how far are they willing to go to save David?

A protégé of Russian master Aleksandr Sokurov, Kantemir Balagov shows a precocious command of cinematic technique as he confronts his characters – and the audience – with the most vexing of ethical dilemmas.

'The assuredness of the performances and the brooding mobility of the camerawork signal Balagov as a filmmaker with significant promise.' – Senses of Cinema

Contains archival footage of real killings.