Directors' Showcase / UK premiere

Paper Soldier

  • Alexey German Jnr /
  • Russian Federation /
  • 2008 /
  • 120 mins

Merab Ninidze, Chulpan Khamatova, Anastasya Sheveleva

A lyrical and dynamic portrait of the dramas and sacrifices of the Soviet space race.

Daniel (Merab Ninidze) is an idealistic medic assigned to care for the health of the first Soviet cosmonaut troop. His concerns over the safety and morality of the project mesh with doubts about his own personal choices, as he enters a troubled extra-marital affair with the lovely Vera (Anastasiya Sheveleva). Eloquent, compelling and beautifully shot, this is a thoroughly absorbing work from the director of The Last Train (EIFF 2004).

2009 Archive

Image from Paper Soldier

Comments

Login or Register to post / report comments

  • #1 DIANA VIRGINIA TODEA / Wednesday 24 June, 2009 / 14:56 GMT

    I found this movie to be an interesting approach of the Russians' ambition to conquer space, however, too melodramatic and full of "old Soviet perfume". It was more interesting to explore the science of space, that took a lot of work for the Russians, rather than banal cliches of husband and wife's conflict. Maybe I expected more wit from the director, more sadness and more happiness. Overall, a good movie, but not really focused on a message.

Festival Diary: June

M T W T F S S
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30          

Find Films By Strand

EIFF is split into Strands. Use them to help find your films.

What are the strands?

Event Search

Suggest-o-tron

Use this fun gadget to help you navigate the Festival programme and find your festival feet.

Start Suggest-o-tron

Featured Trailer

Watch trailer

Modern Love is Automatic