The Forest

Danila is sixteen. Katya is twice his age. He spends hours watching her out of the corner of his eye from an old shed on the edge of the forest. He does not even think about trying to be with her until Danila’s father shows up on Katya’s doorstep in an attempt to run away from his avalanching problems. Father and son are drawn into a turmoil of events where neighbor turns against neighbor, dividing the community into "us" and "them". The strong show more and more disregard and contempt the weak, pushing everyone's life towards a disaster.

  • Roman Zhigalov
    Director
  • Roman Zhigalov
    Writer
  • Roman Zhigalov
    Producer
  • Yury Sergeev
    Director of Photography
  • Vitaly Trofimov
    Production Designer
  • Alexander Leonov
    Composer
  • Olga Gaydamak
    Composer
  • Vera Budushkina
    Associate Producer
  • Oleg Shibayev
    Key Cast
  • Natalya Rychkova
    Key Cast
  • Oleg Feoktistov
    Key Cast
  • Maria Avramkova
    Key Cast
  • Vladimir Malyugin
    Key Cast
  • Sergey Shekhovtsov
    Key Cast
  • Sergey Shanin
    Key Cast
  • Sergey Podolny
    Key Cast
  • Marianna Ovchinnikova
    Key Cast
  • Vladislav Neronov
    Key Cast
  • Albina Tikhanova
    Key Cast
  • Dmitry Blokhin
    Key Cast
  • Nina Esina
    Key Cast
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Лес
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    Drama
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 36 minutes 55 seconds
  • Country of Origin:
    Russian Federation
  • Country of Filming:
    Russian Federation
  • Language:
    Russian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    Scope
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • AVANCA Film Festival

    Portugal
    Special Mention Feature Film and Best Actor
  • International Arctic Film Festival "Arctic Open"

    Russian Federation
    Best Screenplay
  • Västerås Filmfestival

    Sweden
    Best Female Actor
  • International Film Festival of Uruguay

    Uruguay
    International Panorama
  • International Film Festival "East & West Classic and Avant-Garde"

    Russian Federation
    Special Prize "The Gold Cup"
  • Cyprus Film Days International Festival

    Cyprus
    Official Selection
  • Milan International Film Festival Awards (MIFF Awards)

    Italy
    6 nominations
  • Durban International Film Festival

    South Africa
    International Panorama
  • ONE Country ONE Film International Festival

    France
    Official Selection
  • International Film Festival on Human Rights "Stalker"

    Russian Federation
    Official Selection
  • São Paulo International Film Festival

    Brazil
    Finalist of The Audience Choice
  • Mosaic World Film Festival

    United States
    Official Selection
  • Split Film Festival

    Croatia
    Forum nextdoor
  • Barents Ecology Film Festival

    Russian Federation
    Best Debut
  • Sose International Film Festival

    Armenia
    Official Selection
  • Tromsø International Film Festival

    Norway
    Official Silection
  • Cinecôa - Festival Internacional de Cinema

    Portugal
    Official Selection
  • Gorky Fest

    Russian Federation
    Special Jury Prize and Best Actress
  • Kyiv International Film Festival

    Ukraine
    Best Debut and The Diploma for The Best Acting Ensemble
  • Sofia Independent Film Festival

    Bulgaria
    Official Silection
  • Take Two Film Festival

    Russian Federation
    Best Film
  • Chichester International Film Festival

    United Kingdom
    Independent Films Competition
  • Russian National Film Festival "Window to Europe"

    Russian Federation
    Best Debut
  • Independent Days Internationale Filmfest

    Germany
    Best Feature Film
  • Zabaikalsky International Film Festival

    Russian Federation
    Best Film
  • BUZZ CEE International Film Festival

    Romania
    Best Feature Film
  • Philadelphia Independent Film Festival

    United States
    Best Foreign Film
  • Scandinavian International Film Festival

    Finland
    Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress
Director Biography - Roman Zhigalov

Born in the North of Russia in the Arkhangelsk Region; now resides in Moscow. Graduated from the Northern Arctic Federal University. Since 2007 working in film and television making in various capacities. Organized his own film company RZ Studio, which made his debut film The Forest.

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