Stop-Zemlia

There's a heartbreaking moment in Stop, Zemlia! (a game that goes a bit like Pin a Tail) when most of the movie's teenage protagonists go to a gun-shooting demo put on by the Army. It's as if they were preparing for what's happening to them now, and getting their high-schoolers ready for combat. While the movie is not about the fate of the Ukraine, it makes watching this tale of angst-ridden adolescence all the more poignant. Turns out Ukrainian kids have the same problems ours do: cutting, depression, drugs, bullying, too much phone time, ADD; but in Kateryna Gornostai's superbly deft, loving portrait of her subjects, they do so with endearing, eloquence, and even a stoic, humorous charm you won't be able to resist. This is not a Marvel caper, so don't expect pace, or even plot. This is a tender slice of teenage life, reminiscent perhaps of Richard Linklater's "Boyhood", and in its more documentary moments, of Mike Mills's C'mon C'mon. You need to be patient, open, and willing to risk discomfort to watch this movie, the way you might be with your at-home teen. The rewards will be abundant. An uplifting and deeply affecting debut.

Kateryna Gornostai, an aspiring director with solid documentary background, presents a delicate insight into the emotional life of high-schoolers. All her teenage actors had been picked through in-depth interviews and underwent a two-months-long series of workshops before they were finally approved as their characters. This helps us understand the nature of the movie, not much of a drama, but a careful character study employing the documentary toolset, combined with incredible camera work, organic acting, and meticulous editing to create an immersive and believable picture. I was deeply moved by Gornostai's delicate and loving manner of dealing with teenage insecurity, which I wish I could have experienced myself as a 16-year-old.

The screenplay is outstanding, close-up cinematography, perfect music, and good actor play. This movie could bring us back to the time when we were 16.

I expected that I did not like the film, but even after seeing the quality of the image, direction and color editing, I became interested - maybe the film is of better quality than I expected. And then the dialogues and the plot captivated me, I felt nostalgia - even though I did not even have similar episodes in my life. In general, I really liked the film, it was very exciting, I got a little lost in its world (although the subject matter is not at all typical for me). In general, I advise you to try to watch, even if you are a man of 25+ years and you think that this topic is definitely not suitable for you.

I was amazed by the beautiful shots. This movie shows the life of an average Ukrainian teenager in a realistic way. It doesn't have a specific plot, but it's all about enjoyment and living in the moment. I also loved all the metaphors used in the movie. Truly one of a kind.