Lana's Rain

Lana's Rain is a really great example of what's right in today's independent cinema. This is an original film that examines the political strife in post-Cold War Eastern Europe the difficulties faced by immigrants in modern America. But it doesn't stop there: Lana's Rain also looks at the Eastern European criminal underworld, and its affects on refugees in America. It also takes an unflinching look at the horrors of prostitution, through the eyes of original characters in this fascinating genre piece.

The story is told through a familiar genre: the action/crime picture, but this isn't some Tarantino knock-off or film noir wannabe. Michael Ojeda's debut takes a real daring step by having Eastern European actors speaking in Croatian for much of the film! In an age where too much dialog is dumbed-down by Hollywood and when foreign films are poorly dubbed by producers, it's refreshing to see an American director using language the way it was meant to be. Ojeda keeps the action flowing neatly, while getting us into the lives of these characters. We end up caring a lot about these people.

As for the cast of unknowns: they are uniformly excellent. I heard that `Lana' Oksana Orlenko, won the best actress award at the Milan Film Festival. No surprises there! She's immensely talented, radiating pathos and a raw sensuality from the screen. When more people see this film, I'll bet movie goers will fall absolutely in love with her!

Bottom line: don't le me describe this film for you.SEE IT!