In the shadows
SYNOPSIS
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Stills
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A remote spot in the middle of the Siberian taiga. A father and his son arrive after a long train journey. The father tries to convince his son that they will find a new Messiah there. The boy, though he does not contradict his father, feels trapped in a snowy realm where everything revolves around endless spiritual exercises. Life in the community contrasts with memories of his mother, whom the boy calls out to in his dreams. Mariia Lapidus began to make a name for herself at various festivals with this short film, a chilling blend of documentary and fictional reconstruction, in which she highlights the consequences of religious fanaticism and patriarchal culture in Russia. The struggle to resist certain power structures finds a powerful voice in In the Shadows, underpinned by powerful and fascinating imagery: never before has a sect been portrayed with such clarity and heart-wrenching intensity. GABRIEL DOMÉNECH GONZÁLEZ
BIOGRAPHY
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Mariia Lapidus is a writer, director, and activist. She studied filmmaking at VGIK film school and California Institute of the Arts. She now also teaches at CalArts, leading two original courses titled Art of Subversion: Hidden Resistance Under Autocratic Regimes and Dialogues with Agnès Varda in collaboration with Ciné-Tamaris, Agnès Varda's production and distribution company. Her short films were screened and awarded at Visions du Réel, Tirana FF, Winterthur Kurzfilmtage, FIPADOC and other festivals. Most recently, her film Second Skin held its world premiere in competition at IFFR 2026, where it was distinguished with the prestigious Tiger Award.
Guión y Edición: Mariia Lapidus.
Fotografía: Alexander Aleshkovskyi.
Sonido: Daria Gileva.
