ELENA

Elena was working as a nurse when she met Vladimir in hospital, a wealthy businessman; she is now his wife and keeps house for him in a spacious flat in the centre of Moscow. Her son from a first marriage lives with his wife and children in a run-down housing estate on the industrial edge of the city, without work and dependent on Elena’s money, which she must ask Vladimir for. He in turn despises the son as a parasite and has little contact with his own daughter. When Vladimir, after a heart attack, wants to put his will in order, Elena sees her family robbed of its future. “Elena” by Andrei Zvyagintsev, Russia 2011, tells what she concludes from that.

Zvyagintsev tells the story in calm, precisely composed shots; Elena’s journeys between the two flats measure the distance between the classes in present-day Russia. The premiere took place in 2011 in Cannes in the Un Certain Regard section, where the film won the Special Jury Prize. The film was shown at Around the World in 14 Films in Berlin in 2011.

Shown at the 2011 edition of Around the World in 14 Films.

All films 2011 · Film Archive