Mermaid
(Rusalka)

Alica lives an ordinary life by the Russian seaside with her mother and grandmother. At six years old, her dreams of being a ballerina dashed, she takes a vow of silence. By seventeen, she has perfected her extraordinary gift to make wishes come true. After her wish " to get away" results in a devastating hurricane, the family moves to Moscow where she falls in love with Sasha, a handsome young businessman who sells real estate on the moon. Inspired in part by the fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen, Mermaid also recalls Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Amelie with its whimsical aesthetic and charming fantasy sequences. In Russian with English subtitles. Director/Writer: Anna Melikian. (Russia) 114 mins.

Part of the For Your Consideration program