I saw this film at the Leiden International Film Festival (LIFF) 2013, where it was part of the section Window To Russia. The story is about single-mom Inna, and her 6 years old son Mitya. In the opening scene we see her becoming aware that she suffers an incurable illness. Rather than getting depressed and weeping over her decreasing health, her first priority is to find replacement parents for her son. She deems her former husband out of the playing field, which we see confirmed with our own eyes when witnessing a short visit at his house. The search starts with making a compilation video that shows the son in various happy moments. It is sent to prospective parents, who she interviews later on.
An important moment in the developments was that all interviews with prospective parents proved disappointing, to say the least. A few scenes sufficed to expose them as clearly unfit for the task, by merely highlighting a feature that immediately changed our attitude towards them in their disadvantage. We deeply felt with Inna, who nearly lost hope and feared this search would lead to nowhere. And suddenly, one woman showed up who became a better and better match while we got the chance to know her (and her husband, at a later stage). An important remark by Inna is that the previous interviews had setup her, and thus was very happy to meet a prospective parent different from the ones she saw previously. I for myself shared that feeling of relief.
Above anything else, her choice proved right. Inna's health deteriorates visibly, but she holds on, if only to see Mitya settling in with his new family. In the final scene we see him using the words Dad and Mom in a very natural way, showing us that the new situation is gradually becoming a fact of life for him. Mitya's former fears that his mother was plotting to sell him to organ traders (something he saw on TV), obviously faded away due to the natural family life that his new parents offered him.
To my regret, this "settling in" part of the scenario was a bit sketchy. We assume they did not "convince" him by buying expensive presents, but merely behaved as average loving parents do. However, there were no scenes included where Mitya needed to be corrected on bad behavior, or otherwise straightened out. This can be considered a missing element, as such lesser harmonious moments are part of any family life too. I consider this a small defect in the scenario, but not serious enough to hamper my experience as a whole.
All in all, apart from the fact that I cannot explain why I only felt remotely involved in the main characters, the film makers did a fine job in dramatizing the plot and showing us the respective crucial moments in the inevitable change. A minor complaint is that the story is a bit far-fetched and unusual, as most parents would not have so much energy to find a new home for their children, even not allowed enough time to get it through until a happy end. In this unique case, Inna could complete the task before her, in spite of her diminishing health. What I did not expect is that my tear-glands were not called into action. Others may disagree but I find this a positive aspect, as the story is told in a compelling way and can stand on its own feet.
