East/West

The narrative begins in 1946, in the immediate postwar era when Stalinist control tightens over returning émigrés. It spans decades, ending in the late 1980s with glasnost and the growing possibility of escape or return to the West. The period covers the crackdown of the early Cold War years and the thaw that allows reckoning with past actions.

The movie unfolds across key urban centers of the postwar Soviet world: starting on a ship and landing in Odessa, moving to Kyiv's crowded communal flats, then shifting to Vienna as Sasha competes, and culminating in Sofia during a Bulgarian delegation. These locations illustrate the lure of freedom, the pressure of state control, and the global attention that émigrés encounter.

🕊️ Freedom vs Control

Personal longing for freedom collides with the state's tightening grip on émigrés. The return to the USSR is framed as opportunity, but quickly reveals danger, surveillance, and punishment. The family's attempts to escape or redefine their lives drive the emotional core of the film.

💔 Love and Betrayal

Marie yearns for France, testing the durability of her marriage under constant scrutiny. Alexei's closeness with Olga introduces betrayal within the family, highlighting the fragility of trust in a repressive society. Romantic and familial loyalties are continually compromised by political pressures.

🧭 Identity and Exile

Émigrés confront shifting loyalties between homeland, host country, and Western promises. The characters struggle to define who they are when the state defines who belongs. Escape becomes a test of selfhood and resilience in a world that seeks to control every move.