Stop-Zemlia

The film is so light on its feet, and feels so effortless.

There's something rather innocent about this depiction, which isn't trying to be a scandalous or searing portrait of youth but to create an emotionally authentic representation of this hypercharged and sensitive age.

Thoughtful interstitial interviews with several of the teens feel fully real, and add depth. It helps, too, that the young actors are so comfortable in their roles, perhaps partly as the result of an immersive, months-long preparation process.

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.

It may have a meandering feel to it, but its genuine portrayal of teenage angst and sympathetic approach to it more than makes up for this.

Ukrainian cinema is often overlooked despite its presence at international festivals. This coming-of-age drama surely deserves the widest audience.

A down-to-earth coming-of-age in which, with impressive confidence and a brilliant use of non-fiction, Kateryna Gornostai captures the universality of teenage life.

Not much happens in this aimless Ukrainian teen drama, but writer-director Kateryna Gornostai creates an appealingly naturalistic portrait of a group of high schoolers.

In Stop-Zemlia, Ukrainian filmmaker Kateryna Gornostai, known for her documentary work, uses her tools to crack open what it's like to be Sweet 16 and in high school in this Eastern Europe country.

The Ukrainian high school students in Kateryna Gornostai's STOP-ZEMLIA seem like teenagers anywhere in many ways, and yet they don't...