No Looking Back
Olga Lyubimova, Russia’s Minister of Culture and then the highest-ranking film official of the state was disappointed when Kirill Sokolov’s debut film "Why Don’t You Just Die?" failed in the cinemas. She liked the film – a black comedy, arthouse, exquisite, but the domestic distributor had done everything wrong. The film had its international premiere at PÖFF and has by now earned words of praise from critics and the audience in more than 20 countries. Expectations concerning the author’s second feature film have been high and the audience does not have to be disappointed. Sokolov has established himself in the world of film as an author with a characteristic touch.
Olga is released from prison where she served time for having stabbed her life-partner in the eye. Wishing to start a new life, she comes home to take with her 10-year-old Masha who has been raised by her grandma. However, the grandma finds that she and her grandchild have grown so much on each other that the mother has no place in her daughter’s life. Through a miracle, Olga manages to kidnap her daughter, but a crazy chase then follows. Blood sprays in streams…
A wildly funny (black) comedy. An attentive viewer will recognise clear references to well-known films as added value, but the most important thing is to see the depth and strong social essence of the author’s message behind the whole package.
Mihkel Möölman
Recommended age 18+
Kirill Sokolov (b. 1989) studied at the Physics & Technology Faculty of St. Petersburg Polytechnical University; in 2013 enrolled in the department of direction of fiction film at the Higher Courses for Scriptwriters and Directors (class of V. Khotinenko, P. Finn and V. Fenchenko). His short films participated in national and international events. In 2018 he made his first feature film, the black comedy “Why Don’t You Just Die?”. The film won the first prize, and took top place in a vote of film critics, at the Window to Europe festival (Vyborg), and competed at the Black Nights FF Debut Competition; it won several awards in international events of genre cinema. “No Looking Back ”is Kirill Sokolov’s second work as director.
Papa, sdokhni (Kärva maha, paps, PÖFF 2018), No Looking Back (2021)
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