This Russian piece is without a doubt one of the best films of the year, and one that conveys the nature of abusive relationships and the wish to breal free in authentic and real fashion.

The actors all do an incredible job, and really conveys the emotions and realities beautifully, accompined by an incredible script.

The cinematography, cutting and editing is incredible, and you can very much tell it is the work of a very experienced and subtle filmmaker.

Overall, an incredible and very emotional piece that is definitely recommended for any lover of film, and one that conveys ever important themes and messages.

My first film from the Republic of Ossetia (within the Russian Federation). The first two-thirds of the film is a slow, seemingly un-impressive build-up for the final third which is truly memorable. Memorable because the film is based on an original script written/conceived by the director. More memorable because the end-sequence is possibly one of the best I have ever seen. It utilizes forgotten facets of cinema projection of earlier decades, as though the film was getting repeatedly stuck in the projector and the film had finally stopped rolling to complete the tale. The film then appears to end with a dark screen. One would assume a negative ending, but it is actually a very positive ending. You need to see the film to appreciate how it all makes sense. Richly deserved the Cannes "Un Certain Regard'' section's best film award. (The section's jury was headed by British director Ms Andrea Arnold, the director of Cannes award winning film "Fish Tank".) The Ossetian director Kira Kovalenko studied under the maestro Russian director Aleksander Sokurov. It is a pity that this film offered by Russia to the Oscar's foreign language category was not even nominated. It merely shows the artistic knowledge of the people or the process that make the Oscar selections, being unable to distinguish any art that is unusual just because they have never encountered it before. Tip of my hat to the young director Kira Kovalenko! Mr Sokurov, you have mentored a promising new director!