MY GRANNY FROM MARS
Alexander Mihalkovich| Director | Alexander Mihalkovich |
| Producer | Volia Chajkouskaya – Volia Films; Igor Savychenko - Directory Films |
| Editor | Petro Tsymbal |
| Camera | Siarhei Kanaplianik, Alexander Mihalkovich |
| Sound | Serz Avdey, Artem Mostoviy |
| Screening | Wednesday 6 November | 19:00 hours | Filmhuis Den Haag (invitation only) Wednesday 6 November | 19:30 hours | Filmhuis Den Haag Friday 8 November | 17:00 hours | Filmhuis Den Haag |
| Original Title | MOYA BABUSHKA S MARSA |
| Year | 2018 |
| Length | 72 min |
| Country | Belarus/Ukraine/Estonia |
| Subtitles | English |
| Section | Opening Film / Focus: Europe, 30 Years After the Berlin Wall |
When politics and nationalism turn Crimea into an unfriendly environment, can it still be a safe place for a grandma and her big family? A humorous and charming film awarded with the Docu Talent Prize by Ji.hlava Academy. Screenings will be followed by Q&A with the director Alexander Mihalkovich.
Synopsis
Zina is a native Ukrainian who lived peacefully all her life in Ukraine, Russia and Belarus. After retirement she moved to Crimea and true to her Eastern heritage, she has always tried to unite her big family. But after the Ukrainian revolution and the annexation of Crimea by Russia, visiting her became an endless hassle. The same old place, now with a new culture, symbols of state, music and propaganda. Isolated from the rest of her family, she lives in a coastal town forgotten by the world, unable to decide whether to leave or stay. What a time to be an old lady! The family has been separated, Crimea turned into ‘a distant planet’, and its environment is now unfriendly towards the grandmother.
Festivals & Awards (selection)
Ji.Hlava Documentary Film Festival, 2018 – Docu Talent Prize, World Premiere in section Between the Seas | IDFA 2018 – Docs for sale | The Rise of Eastern Culture / Another Dimension – Forum Cinema, Meetings, Screenings, Białystok 2019 | Beldocs, 2019 | DOK.fest Munich, 2019
Director's bio
Alexander Mihalkovich (1984) hails from Minsk, Belarus. In 2016 he graduated from the DocNomads international study program. His focus as a filmmaker is on long-term projects towards which he feels a close personal relationship. After creating several short documentary films, he made his feature film debut with My Granny from Mars (2018), awarded Docu Talent Prize.
Filmography: Mothers Crusade (2020, documentary); To Become a Man (2021, feature); My Granny From Mars (2018, documentary); Leave Permission (2017, short); White sheet of paper (2016, short); Red ripper in Brussels (2015, short); Keret (2015, short); Two (2014, short); Klapotski (2009, short, debut film)