Lilya 4-Ever (2002)
"Lilja 4-ever" (original title)

Lilja is 16 years old. Her only friend is the young boy Volodja. They live in Estonia, fantasizing about a better life. One day, Lilja falls in love with Andrej. He is going to Sweden, and invites Lilja to come along and start a new life.

Director:

Lukas Moodysson

Writer:

Lukas Moodysson

Stars:

Oksana Akinshina, Artyom Bogucharskiy, Lyubov Agapova

12 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Oksana Akinshina	...	Lilja (as Oksana Akinsjina)
Artyom Bogucharskiy	...	Volodya (as Artiom Bogutjarskij)
Lyubov Agapova	...	Lilja's Mother (as Ljubov Agapova)
Liliya Shinkaryova	...	Aunt Anna (as Lilija Sjinkarjova)
Elina Benenson	...	Natasha
Pavel Ponomaryov	...	Andrei (as Pavel Ponomarjov)
Tomasz Neuman	...	Witek (as Tomas Neumann)
Anastasiya Bedredinova	...	Neighbor (as Anastasia Bedredinova)
Tõnu Kark	...	Sergei
Nikolai Bentsler	...	Natasha's Boyfriend (as Nikolaj Bentsler)
Aleksander Dorosjkevitch	...	Friend #1 (as Aleksandr Dorosjkevitj)
Yevgeni Gurov	...	Friend #2 (as Jevgeni Gurov)
Aleksandr Sokolenko	...	Friend #3
Margo Kostelina	...	Cashier #1
Veronika Kovtun	...	Cashier #2

Storyline

While waiting for her mothers reply to take her to the USA, Lilya idles the time away smoking, drinking and having fun with her, too, outcast friend Volodya. In time, the chance of a new life becomes non-existent; her life is going nowhere. Meeting a young man, she then finds a plane ticket in her hand and a new life in Sweden: a job, an apartment and prospects. All is not what it seems. There shall be work, there shall be housing and there shall be no escape. This is the stark, frank and disturbing vision of the life of a young victim of the underground sex trade and in all its tone of realism of abject poverty, despicable actions and of wanting to show that dreaming of a better life is not a crime but that life can shatter the illusion of a happy ending.

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Plot Keywords:

sweden | friend | poverty | sex trade | sex | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexual content, a rape scene, drug use and language

Details

Country:

Sweden Denmark

Language:

Russian Swedish English Polish

Release Date:

23 August 2002 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Lilya 4-Ever

Filming Locations:

Film i Väst, Nohab Industrial Estate, Trollhättan, Västra Götalands län, Sweden

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$33,731 (USA) (18 April 2003)

Gross:

$181,655 (USA) (23 May 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Memfis Film, Det Danske Filminstitut, Film i Väst

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The money shown in the movie is the currency of Estonia (100 crown bills).

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Quotes

Volodja: Everyone's spitting at you, but you're not ready
[to die]
Volodja: .

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Connections

Featured in The 2004 IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards (2004)

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Soundtracks

"O Virtius Sapientie"
Written by Hildegard von Bingen (as H. von Bingen)
Performed by Fläskkvartetten
Arranged by Marianne Richert Pfau
With permission from Hildegard Publishing Company

User Reviews

One of the best movies seen so far in the last 10 years

I do have to admit that I'm not an "art-type" movies or classic movies fan (i.e. Casablanca, Gone with the Wind, etc...); maybe that's why I managed to see Lilja 4 ever later than expected - to be precise last night...

What can I say? The movie impressed me so much that I saw it again trying to tune myself in order to observe each little detail that might escaped me during first view. Everything in this movie is so great and well done that after second view I gave it 10 out of 10... a grade that I gave only to another movie (The Godfather I). Oksana did a demonstration of art in playing Lilja proving that she easily can beat great names as Nicole Kidman or Julia Roberts that are earning million times more and acting million times worst. Her note 10/10... sorry, 20/10.

If I would compare Kill Bill vol. 1 with Lilja (as I seen Kill Bill got so high grades) I would give to Kill Bill 1,5 and to Lilja 10.

Again, Europe beats the hell out of US, showing that the real art of cinema has nothing to do with having hundred of millions of $ budget and millions of special effects.