BORDER

BORDER is a 20-minute experimental film created entirely by one woman, Sasha Shprotser. Over four days, she undertakes an 80-kilometer solo journey on foot from Narva, Estonia—her homeland—to her grandmother’s grave in Slantsy, Russia, just beyond the border. This place, where her grandmother lived and her mother was born, holds deep personal and cultural significance, layering her identity with complex ties to both nations.

Through raw imagery and immersive soundscapes, BORDER blurs the line between personal experience and cinematic abstraction. Solitude, uncertainty, and shifting landscapes shape the film, transforming movement into meditation. By taking on every aspect of the filmmaking process—from shooting to post-production—Shprotser turns her journey into an intimate, sensory-driven exploration.

Neither a traditional documentary nor a linear narrative, BORDER exists in the in-between: a poetic, experimental work that invites viewers to reflect on their own borders—physical, emotional, and cultural.

  • Sasha Shprotser
    Director
  • Sasha Shprotser
    Producer
  • Sasha Shprotser
    Key Cast
    "Sasha Shprotser"
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Piir
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Experimental, Short
  • Runtime:
    19 minutes 20 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 16, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    1,500 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Estonia
  • Country of Filming:
    Estonia, Russian Federation
  • Language:
    English, Estonian, Russian
  • Shooting Format:
    digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Sasha Shprotser

Sasha Shprotser (b. 1991, Tallinn, Estonia) is a multidisciplinary artist working across film, performance, and visual arts. She studied theater direction at GITIS (Russian Institute of Theatre Arts) and integrated art and multimedia at Tallinn University’s Baltic Film, Media, and Arts School.

Her work explores themes of identity, borders, and self-discovery, blending personal narratives with broader social and cultural questions. BORDER, her debut short film, is an intimate exploration of memory, loss, and cultural identity. Using bold visual experimentation and immersive storytelling, she delves into universal themes of belonging and resilience, crafting a film that is both thought-provoking and emotionally resonant.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

BORDER is a deeply personal journey—an 80-kilometer trek I took alone, from Narva, Estonia, to my grandmother’s grave in Slantsy, Russia. What began as a journey into the unknown became a meditation on identity, memory, and the invisible borders that shape us.

The filmmaking process mirrored this experience. I made BORDER entirely on my own—filming, recording sound, and editing—each step becoming part of my own process of discovery. Through experimental visuals and fragmented storytelling, I sought to create an experience that invites viewers to reflect on their own boundaries, whether physical, emotional, or cultural, and how these unseen lines shape our sense of self.