Vera

Directed by Hanna Sulima

Vera Alexandrovna is 80 years old. She lives alone in her apartment. Нer only company comes from her caretaker, Irina, and her son, Kirill. Her days have long become monotonous: there is no room for chance, and everything happens according to her plan, exactly as she wants it. Old age is unacceptable to her; to acknowledge it would mean accepting dependence, vulnerability, and the loss of control over her own life. On a typical day, she takes a shower, reads a book, and visits her son. But this morning, a light bulb burns out — and nothing will ever be the same again. Her son Kirill is apathetic and withdrawn: he fears her, resents her, and yet reveres her, making their relationship both dependent and destructive. This unresolved tension culminates in a desperate act.