Koktebel (Roads to Koktebel)

Beautiful scripted and directed by Alexei Popogrebsky and Boris Khlebnikov this stunning movie starts slows, continues slow and ends slow, but in-between you will be captured into this fascinating road movie about a father and his 11 years old son traveling from somewhere in Russia up to Koktebel in the Black Sea. A widowed aeronautics engineer, who has lost his job, while traveling by foot and hoping freight trains, the penniless father is passing on all his knowledge to his son, who is fascinated by flying, making this movie a moving and captivating voyage of discovery.

But the story has implicit many metaphors that convey a father representing everything that is still tied to “old Russia” (unemployment, homelessness and alcoholism) and a son that is not tied to the past but determined to search the future for something better.

The movie has a fabulous absence of words and marvelous cinematography of Russia and Ukrainian countryside, with some scenes that are visually stunning, like when the boy is using a broken camera, the beautiful forest takes, the beach scene at night and many other images that will stay in mind.

The movie won 6 awards including the FIPRESCI Special Prize at 2003 Cannes, 3 nominations and 5 Official Selection in international festivals and awards.

This quiet and intelligent movie is for those that enjoy art cinema and enjoy arresting visuals with long-shot vistas and nature close-ups.

Enjoy!