Ivan

In the often funny and tender drama Ivan, a charming yet sassy ten-year-old girl gives an ex-pilot a chance to redeem himself. Ivan played adroitly and naturally by Kirill Polukhin (The Fool), used to spend his days as an air force pilot as well as flying a helicopter. Now he lives in a very small town, drives an ambulance, and has long since given up his old dreams and passions. His brother lives outside of Russia and consistently tries to convince Ivan to leave and start fresh somewhere - but Ivan would never do that. He, like many people of his generation, has settled into complacency with his slow-paced, never-changing life. However, when Ivan meets a young girl named Tonya (Pauline Gohman) and her little dog Tuzik, his world forever changes. Tonya's habit of running toward conflict head-on instead of away from it does more than just clash with Ivan's apathetic mindset - it shakes him to his core, inspiring him to make some much-needed changes. In her debut film, Alyona Davydova crafts an intriguing examination of the human condition and the power of chance meetings. (Seattle International Film Festival)