Stop-Zemlia (Stop the World)

Its title translating in English as Stop the World, this naturalistic coming-of-age drama from Ukraine follows introvert Masha as she navigates her last year of school and falls in love in a way that forces her out of her comfort zone. Stop-Zemlia premiered at the 2021 Berlinale in the Generations section, and is the feature debut of writer-director Kateryna Gornostai.

"Using her screenplay as a basis for largely improvised performances, the urgency and immediacy of Stop-Zemlia is electrifying... Stop-Zemlia is an intelligent film about a demographic who are so often approached by adult filmmakers in ways that miss all the nuance, fragility and genuine joy that this film brings to life..." (Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, AWFJ.org)

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