ONCE IN TRUBCHEVSK (MIFF RUSSIAN MOVIE REVIEW)




8/10


Welcome to TRUBCHEVSK - a small town not far from Moscow. Anna and Egor are neighbours and having an affair. It is only a matter of time until things are out in the open. Some hard choices have to be made... or maybe not so hard. In the end TRUBCHEVSK is a quiet town where nothing ever happens.

Subtle, atmospheric and true, devoid of politics and criminal drama, which is a typical trend for modern Russian films, ONCE IN TRUBCHEVSK delivers a simple story but with a lot of heart. The setting here is everything. TRUBCHEVSK presents as poor and simple town with a surprisingly prosperous community. The real focus of the film is that community with many episodic characters who are likely to be non professional actors revealing real life stories. 

Authenticity is what ONCE IN TRUBCHEVSK is all about. There’s a feeling that you are plunged into some kind of alternative universe, the same for a Russian viewer like myself who spent the majority of his life in a big city. 

ONCE IN TRUBCHEVSK is only 80 minutes long and while very little is happening story-wise it never feels stretched or boring. With current Russian political infamy it is nice to see a movie about simple people with simple dramas and the quiet current of life that sooner or later amicably resolves the problems of the heart.

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