Stop-Zemlia

The screenplay is outstanding, close-up cinematography, perfect music, and good actor play. This movie could bring us back to the time when we were 16.

Kateryna Gornostai, an aspiring director with solid documentary background, presents a delicate insight into the emotional life of high-schoolers. All her teenage actors had been picked through in-depth interviews and underwent a two-months-long series of workshops before they were finally approved as their characters. This helps us understand the nature of the movie, not much of a drama, but a careful character study employing the documentary toolset, combined with incredible camera work, organic acting, and meticulous editing to create an immersive and believable picture. I was deeply moved by Gornostai's delicate and loving manner of dealing with teenage insecurity, which I wish I could have experienced myself as a 16-year-old.

I was amazed by the beautiful shots. This movie shows the life of an average Ukrainian teenager in a realistic way. It doesn't have a specific plot, but it's all about enjoyment and living in the moment. I also loved all the metaphors used in the movie. Truly one of a kind.

The film is not really only about teenagers self-discovering themselves together or isolated from each other, but also about the political situation that is lurking behind the scenes. Since 2014, Ukraine has been under the attack of dictator Russia which is why talking about this evil shadow is inevitable in a Ukrainian film. You might be surprised but even long before that, Ukraine has been under the invasion of Russia every few decades for centuries. As a result, Kateryna is determined to portray the effects of the previous Russian invasion through their school education. The medical and shooting training of these teenagers in high school becomes the precursor of Russia's war against Ukraine in 2022. Director utilizes a few documentary cameras and plot styles to let the audience into the story of Masha and her friends. In that way, this becomes a great example of a realistic indie film and a portrait of the Ukrainian youth.

There's a heartbreaking moment in Stop, Zemlia! (a game that goes a bit like Pin a Tail) when most of the movie's teenage protagonists go to a gun-shooting demo put on by the Army. It's as if they were preparing for what's happening to them now, and getting their high-schoolers ready for combat. While the movie is not about the fate of the Ukraine, it makes watching this tale of angst-ridden adolescence all the more poignant. Turns out Ukrainian kids have the same problems ours do: cutting, depression, drugs, bullying, too much phone time, ADD; but in Kateryna Gornostai's superbly deft, loving portrait of her subjects, they do so with endearing, eloquence, and even a stoic, humorous charm you won't be able to resist. This is not a Marvel caper, so don't expect pace, or even plot. This is a tender slice of teenage life, reminiscent perhaps of Richard Linklater's "Boyhood", and in its more documentary moments, of Mike Mills's C'mon C'mon. You need to be patient, open, and willing to risk discomfort to watch this movie, the way you might be with your at-home teen. The rewards will be abundant. An uplifting and deeply affecting debut.