DYLDA

Paraplegia, a state of shock, prominent scars. Physical wounds are noticeable. But what cannot be seen hurts even more: one's uselessness in the face of the limp limbs. The leaden heaviness that takes a child's breath away. The sterility that precludes every prospect. In this, his second feature film, Kantemir Balagov portrays the horror and victories of war not in the form of great battles and heroic deeds, but in the traumata buried deep inside. In such a way that the resulting actions bring forth new injuries. With this drama in strong, contrasting shades of red and green, Balagov gives a warm kiss on the pale forehead of death that lurks behind every corner of Leningrad; be it from the war itself, from starvation or suicide. The two main characters, the eponymous "Beanpole" and her friend Masha, resist with all their might. The horrors of war are reflected in these two almost iconic women. NaF