Rival
Childhood
•
1h 31m
"A superb performance from Yelizar Nazarenko propels this drama about a nine-year-old boy in increasingly dire straits." Screen Daily
Busan International Film Festival
AFI Fest
Camerimage
After being smuggled across the border from Ukraine into Germany, nine-year-old Roman (Yelizar Nazarenko) is reunited with his mother Oksana (Maria Bruni) who is working illegally as a housekeeper for the 62-year-old widower Gert (Udo Samel). Though happy to be back with his mother, Roman is also jealous of Gert, resentful of the time his mother devotes to him. When Oksana falls ill, Roman finds himself alone with his rival, forced to navigate his complex emotions without the support of his mother. Each of the three leads are excellent, but it is Nazarenko, with a quiet, yet powerful and expressive performance, who is the stand-out as the closed-off, troubled Roman.
Germany, Ukraine - 2020 - 1h 32m
Directed By: Marcus Lenz
Written By: Marcus Lenz, Lars Hubrich
Starring: Maria Bruni, Yelizar Nazarenko, Udo Samel
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