The Door (2008)

After stealing an old door, a man reflects on the desperate circumstances that led him to do so.

Director:

Juanita Wilson

Stars:

Igor Sigov, Juliette Gering, Liliyn Grechk

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins.

Cast

Cast overview:
Igor Sigov	...	Nikolai
Juliette Gering	...	Anya
Liliyn Grechk	...	Lena
Vahtang Techhaitze	...	Doctor
Viktor Shur	...	Guard
Leonid Mykytenko	...	Priest

Storyline

Sometime in 1986, or maybe 1987, in the dead of night, a man parks his motorcycle next to an empty amusement park. He hides from security guards as he finds his way to a block of flats and enters one. A guard smashes a window and yells at him to leave. He does, but he's carrying something from the flat. He is Nikolai, married to Anya, the father of Lena, who is a thin, ethereal waif. In what we later learn is a flashback, we see them packing to leave, hurried by authorities, who tell them to leave everything behind. What's going on, why can they bring nothing? And why would Nikolai return home, sometime later, to steal a door?

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Plot Keywords:

motorcycle | death of a child | funeral procession | voice over narration | dinner | 

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Genres:

Short | Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Ireland

Language:

Russian

Release Date:

12 March 2010 (Mexico)

Filming Locations:

Kiev, Ukraine

Company Credits

Production Co:

Irish Film Board, Octagon Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

17 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2010: Live Action (2010)

User Reviews

A real feature short shot on the real location - envious...

I do understand the above, the somewhat not sufficiently motivated nature of it, if I took it right. A little too scarce that the single motive is that door. Only one core around which it all is threaded.

However I think it is a remarkable achievement to have been able to film at the very location (and all with extras, vehicles, etc), even if its sadly starting to be a cliché about Pripyat. Still I think it will never stop being a thrilling issue and location. I myself actually still have a desire to once be able to go there for some reason. Very convincing and decent production, acting, photography.

The strange thing is that there is another "The Door", of 2009, with Mads Mikkelsen, what oddly enough tells about "an artist who loses control of his life after his young daughter's death."