CINEUROPA
"full of life and empathy"
"a promising gem of a debut"

INDIE-EYE
"it retains a vital and painful force, which manages to manifest itself in the coexistence of pain and amazement, freedom and fear, through the face and interpretation of a remarkable Alina Cheban, a real revelation"

SCREENANARCHY
"Buryachkova addresses adolescence with stark honesty. She avoids romantic idealization, instead presenting it as a nuanced and intricate stage of personal development, especially in the post-Soviet landscape following communism's fall."

CORRIERE DEL VENETO
"a hymn to a people’s will to live"
"There is a magical oddity in this film, which bursts from every scene."

Synopsis

After transferring from a downtown high school, Tonia joins a new badass gang of youngsters, trying to find protection and a place she truly belongs. They spend time together, roaming around Kyiv's post-socialist suburbs, having fun and getting in trouble. Soon, Tonia falls in love with Zhurik, whilst also longing for Sania and finds herself tangled up in an alluring secret love triangle. But Tonia's abusive past still haunts her, challenging this newfound friendship and romance. Will she be able to find her own pass or lose herself in this new controversial relationship?
Set in the late 90s Kyiv, this is a story of the young and rebellious amid the ruins of the Soviet regime. Those who had to grow up faster due to the circumstances but got lost in the adult world. A story of which we need constant reminding, as some things only exist at the moment, while others last forever.