A Bit of a Stranger

Ukraine, Germany, Sweden, 2024 (90 min.)

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In Russian, English and Arabic with English subtitles

Svitlana is a film director born in Mariupol. For several years she documented her family life: four generations of women who felt how Moscow‘s long-term imperial policy robbed them of their national identity. After Russia’s full-scale invasion, the shock throughout the first months of the war is overwhelming. Her daughter, Alexandra, and her two-year-old grand-daughter, Stephanie, escape to London. Valentina, Svitlana’s mother, stays in Kyiv and keeps in touch with Mariupol and her daughter via phone. Eager to find out what exactly has happened in Mariupol, Svitlana discovers how their individual experience of war collides with their newfound quest to learn about their families’ history. Throughout their events, the three adult women wonder what patriotism really is and if it is worth dying for.

The film had its world premiere at the 2024 Berlin Film Festival.