Rusalka (2007)

Director:

Anna Melikyan

Writer:

Anna Melikyan (screenplay)

Release Date:

22 November 2007 (Russia)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy

Plot:

In Moscow, a young woman disappears after falling in love with a new man.

Plot Keywords:

18th Birthday | Ship | Playing | Smoking | Ballet

Awards:

5 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Mariya Shalayeva	...	Alisa (as Masha Shalayeva)
Yevgeni Tsyganov	...	Sasha
Mariya Sokova	...	Alisa's mother
Anastasiya Dontsova	...	Young Alisa (as Nastya Dontsova)
Veronika Skugina
Irina Skrinichenko	...	Rita
Albina Yevtushevskaya	...	Alisa's grandmother
Oksana Borisova
Ivan Nikolayev
Igor Savochkin
Igor Yatsko	...	Alisa's chief
Igor Uryvayev
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Natalya Rychkova

Also Known As:

Русалка (Russia)
Mermaid (USA)
The Mermaid (International: English title)

Runtime:

115 min | Russia:100 min (theatrical version)

Country:

Russia

Language:

Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

South Korea:18 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva)

Filming Locations:

Anapa, Russia

Company:

Central Partnership

Trivia:

Russia's 2009 Academy Awards official submission to Foreign-Language Film category.

Movie Connections:

Features The Fifth Element (1997)

Soundtrack:

Odin telefonny zvonok

Why worth watching and why worth remembering

This beautiful picture represents the loveliest trend of the modern Russian cinema (that largely consists of cheap action movies and lachrymose dramas) - a definite piece of art and a work of an Author, a story that truthfully and painfully reflects city life from the confused point of view of an outsider, dreamer, youngster. "Rusalka" is often compared to "Progulka" (2003) and "Piter FM" (2006), as in this respect these films are kindred to "Rusalka", never mentioning the fact that they all star Yevgeni Tsyganov - the new Russian Gael García Bernal type. However, watching "Rusalka" aches more than two before-mentioned pictures, for it doesn't lie for the sake of good mood. "Rusalka" is sometimes also called "Amélie Poulain in Moscow" because of the expressive and charming character of the heroine who believes that life is a beautiful and never-ending mystery; however, "Rusalka" goes farther than "Amélie", openly showing that City is not only a place of romance and unexpected adventures, but in fact a get-together of very very lonely people who find each other to remain alone. "Such things do happen in megapoles. Seriously, no big deal. Such things do happen." This might hurt.