Ilya Khodyrev

On a sun-drenched nudist beach, João encounters Vanya, a mysterious Russian whose sorrowful gaze and dramatic presence disrupt the calm of Portuguese Beach №19, a known gay haven. As João strives to uncover the pain behind Vanya’s despair, their conversation turns into a tense improvisation, revealing a haunting tale of forbidden love and loss. Amidst the beauty of paradise, their unexpected connection is shadowed by uncertainty—João senses the encounter spiraling toward a tragic climax, unsure if he’s witnessing genuine vulnerability or the act of a manipulator.

Matröshki

Father tells a bedtime story near an empty bed

The near future. A prolonged economic crisis has undermined the last remaining foundations of the world order. In this chaos, a night bank clerk is taken hostage, and the hostage-taker’s demand is to withdraw money from a client's account. Trying to prevent this, the clerk realizes that his family is in grave danger.

After the outbreak of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Viktor leaves Russia to live a freer life in Berlin — far from his family’s expectations and accusations, and from the conventions of an oppressive regime. He falls in love with David, but soon his past catches up with him.