Veniamin, a teenager in the midst of a religious awakening, has his mother, schoolmates and entire high school turned upside down by his questions. Can girls go to their swimming classes in bikinis? Does sex education have a place in school? Should the theory of evolution be taught as part of the Natural Sciences? Veniamin finds his fanaticism empowering as he is able to manipulate those around him, and the adults are soon overwhelmed by the certitudes of the youngster who swears only by Scripture. No one but Elena, his biology teacher, will challenge him on his own ground. Kirill Serebrennikov’s fourth feature is a powerful allegory for the oppressive influence of religion in modern Russia, as timely as it is compelling.
The Asia Pacific Screen Academy expresses its respect for and acknowledgement of the South East Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. We pay our respects to the Traditional Owners of country, including the custodial communities on whose land works are created and celebrated by the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. We acknowledge the continuing connection to land, waters and communities. We also pay our respects to Elders, past and present. We recognise the integral role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and First Nations peoples continue to play in storytelling and celebration spaces.
