Whilst Germany attacks the country from the west, the Soviet Union annexes a considerable portion of eastern Poland; thousands of civilians are deported. Among them is the officer’s wife Nina, who together with her newborn baby is transported to a camp in the Kazakh Steppe and abandoned to a fateful struggle for survival against bitterly cold winters, stiflingly hot summers and a corrupt camp hierarchy.
This psychologically multi-faceted, visually expressive feature film of the Belgian-born director is based on the memoirs of her grandmother, who was deported to Siberia in 1940.
35mm | Farbe / colour
Vanja d'Alcantara
Ruben Impens
Senjan Jansen
Marek Warzewski
Agnieszka Grochowska, Aleksandra Justa, Borys Szyc, Ahan Zolanbiek, Tatiana Tarskaja
Akson Studio
Doc & Film International
Rue Portefoin 13
75003 Paris
France
Tel: +33.1.42 77 56 87
Fax: +33.1.42 77 89 66
itl@docandfilm.com
Vanja d'Alcantara - born 1977. Studied firstly history, then film direction at the Brussels film school and screenwriting in New York. BEYOND THE STEPPES is her debut feature film.
LA TERCERA VIDA (2004, doc)
GRANITSA (2006, short)