Ostrov - Lost Island
Svetlana Rodina, Laurent Stoop / Switzerland / 2021 / 92 min
After the fall of the Soviet Union, the inhabitants of the Ostrov island in the Caspian Sea survive by poaching, facing poverty and the abuses of the authorities.
About the film
Ivan comes from a family of fishermen. Every day, the man goes out to sea to poach, risking his life and freedom in order to support his family. While the youngsters on the island dream about making it big abroad or find work in the city, Ivan and his peers fall prey to TV propaganda, still believing in the greatness of Russia and the benevolence of president Putin, who they are convinced is the saviour of the Russian people. Ostrov – Lost Island is not only a compelling family portrait, but also an incursion in an isolated world, lost in a space full of contradictions and mystification, a bitter metaphor for contemporary Russia.
ProducerCorinna Dästner
EditorOrsola Valenti, Karine Sudan, Svetlana Rodina
SoundJérôme Cuendet, Alea Jacta
CinematographyLaurent Stoop