Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, Kyiv 2021 (Student Films)

This gripping and highly emotional story about a challenge to embrace inner combats resonates very well with the audience. The inner conflict of the protagonist, who is his own antagonist at the same time, is in the center of a well-developed plot. The viewer follows the young man along the path to understand his inner struggle, which appears to be the source of his outer violence. The well-acted tension builds up as the main character, devastated by his coming of age strife, is challenged by his friends and his mother, and thus raises the issue of the crucial role these intimate relationships usually play in development of a person. As the powerful final scene gives hope for reconciliation, after the young protagonist has been pushed to frightful extremes, the message of the film is the importance of self-relationship and embracing one’s inner clashes, no matter what their outer reasons are.