Original language: Russian
93 min.
Crystal Swan
Dir. Darya Zhuk; 2018; Belarus, Germany, USA, Russia
In 1990s Belarus, a wanderlusting young DJ is derailed by a typo in a forged US Visa application, forcing her to a backwater factory town where she is determined to fake her way to the American dream.
About the film
In post-Soviet Belarus, unemployed raver Velya dreams of emigrating to the U.S. After purchasing blank letterhead and forging proof of employment to win a much-coveted visa, her dream appears within reach... Until Velya realizes the American consulate plans to call the fake phone number on her application to confirm her employment.
Velya’s only solution is to endure a week in a small factory town to convince the authorities of her supposed job. She locates the cramped Soviet apartment on the other end of the line, overrun by a family preparing for the wedding of their son.
The imperious mother refuses to lie for her, but Velya negotiates a solution: she can answer the phone during business hours as if she works at the factory. But Velya’s presence soon upends both the family’s and the town’s order, with potentially disastrous consequences for all.
Velya’s only solution is to endure a week in a small factory town to convince the authorities of her supposed job. She locates the cramped Soviet apartment on the other end of the line, overrun by a family preparing for the wedding of their son.
The imperious mother refuses to lie for her, but Velya negotiates a solution: she can answer the phone during business hours as if she works at the factory. But Velya’s presence soon upends both the family’s and the town’s order, with potentially disastrous consequences for all.
Films are for the individual viewing only. Why?
Russian
Original language
fiction, drama, comedy
Genre
Helga Landauer, co-written by Darya Zhuk
Screenplay
Birgit Goernbock, Olga Goister, Debbie Vandermeulen, Valery Dmitrotchenko
Producers
Danny Gabai, Will McCance, Eddy Moretti, Dmitriy Osmerkin, Chris Schumann, Shane Smith, Bernie Stern
Executive Producers
Carolina Costa
DoP
Sergey Dmitrenko, Michal Leszczylowski
Editors
Oliver Achatz
Sound Designer
Andrey Tolstik
Production Designer
Alina Nassibulina, Ivan Mulin, Yury Borisov, Svetlana Anikey, Ilya Kapanets, Ludmila Razumova, Natalya Onishenko, Vyacheslav Shakalido, Anastasiya Gavrya
Cast