Above, only dreams: a war drama about the exploits of a small man and the "Grace" of Sorrentino

By Victory Day, the Russian military dramas "Seven Versts before Dawn" about the feat of a simple peasant Matvey Kuzmin and "Litvyak" about the deadly pilot Lydia Litvyak, who was affectionately called the "White Lily of Stalingrad" by her colleagues, are being released. Egor Beroev will make his directorial debut with the drama "Doll". Tony Servillo's character gets into an internal conflict between duty and conscience in Paolo Sorrentino's "Grace." "Izvestia" about what to watch in the cinema next weekend.

"Seven miles before dawn", 16+

Directed by Alexander Andreev. Starring: Fedor Dobronravov, Maria Shukshina, Viktor Dobronravov, Artem Bystrov, Timofey Kochnev, Oleg Gaas

A shot from the movie "Seven miles before dawn"

Photo: River

Fyodor Dobronravov appears in the image of an elderly peasant Matvey Kuzmin, whose name is written in large letters in the history of the Great Patriotic War. In 1941, his native village in the Pskov region was occupied by the Nazis. Even the house of the old man, who was already over 80 years old at the time, was occupied by the Nazis, driving the owner into the barn. The little man, who lived quietly in peacetime (because of his unsociable nature, the neighbors called him Biryuk) and was engaged in hunting and fishing, turned out to have strong courage and selfless devotion to the Motherland.

In February 1942, the German commander forced Kuzmin to lead the Nazis to the rear of the Red Army. The old man agreed, but deceived the invaders: he confused them off-road all night and led them straight into the machine-gun fire of Soviet soldiers. For this, he was immediately killed by a German commander. He was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union posthumously. Boris Polevoy's short story "The Last Day of Matvey Kuzmin" is dedicated to the feat of a simple village peasant. The story formed the basis of a new military drama, which is being widely released on the eve of Victory Day.

Grazia, 18+

Directed by Paolo Sorrentino. Starring: Tony Servillo, Anna Farzetti, Massimo Venturiello, Orlando Cinque, Milvia Marigliano

A shot from the movie "Grace"

Photo: PiperFilm

The premiere of the philosophical tragicomedy parable "Grace" by Paolo Sorrentino took place at the Venice Film Festival in 2025. The film was nominated for the Golden Lion Award, and the lead actor Tony Servillo, the master's favorite actor, who starred in many of his films, including The Great Beauty, was awarded the Volpi Cup for Best Actor for his new work.

The plot centers on the fictional Italian President Mariano De Santis, whose term is coming to an end. At the end of his career, a politician needs to make a difficult decision: a law on euthanasia and several clemency petitions are waiting on his desk. He enters into a dialogue with his conscience, while simultaneously experiencing a personal drama — his thoughts are not here, but in the past, where his beloved wife left the president.

"Semitone", 18+

Directed by Ian Tuason. Starring: Nina Kiri, Adam DiMarco, Michelle Duque, Keana Bastidas, Jeff Yun

A frame from the movie "Semitone"

Photo: Black Fawn Films

The Canadian horror film starring Nina Kiri from The Handmaid's Tale has become the feature-length debut of director Ian Tuason. Audio horror, where sound rather than image is responsible for the viewer's fear, grew out of the concept of a radio play. The script itself is based on the personal experience of the director, who took care of sick parents, as a result, the mystique in the plot is closely related to the themes of loss and guilt.

The main character Evie takes care of her seriously ill mother and hosts a late-night podcast about paranormal phenomena, which she treats with skepticism, with her friend Justin. But what seemed like fiction and a fun hobby suddenly becomes a nightmarish reality. Evie receives strange audio recordings from an unknown sender. They show the voice of a woman being recorded by her husband while she sleeps. The longer podcasters study the files, the more ominous events are happening around them.

"Doll", 18+

Directed by Egor Beroev. Starring: Anna Pankratova, Nikita Tezin, Egor Beroev, Danila Krasnov, Alexey Kravchenko, Tatiana Rasskazova

A shot from the movie "The Doll"

Photo: Cinema Laboratory

Actor Egor Beroev made his directorial debut. The script of his drama "The Doll" is based on the stories of the wards of the orphanage at the Pokrovsky Monastery in Suzdal. People with disabilities took part in the filming. The main role is played by the director's young lover Anna Pankratova.

"The Doll" is a painting about redemption and the attempt of a man rejected by society to correct the mistakes of the past. After betraying a loved one, Nadia commits murder in a fit of rage and ends up behind bars, being pregnant. In captivity, she gives birth to a daughter, but the child is taken away, and the bond between them ends. After serving a six-year sentence, the heroine returns to a world that does not await her and tries to find a girl.

Litvyak, 16+

Directed by Andrey Shalopa. Starring: Polina Chernyshova, Peter Rykov, Evgeny Tkachuk, Victoria Solovyova, Ivan Shalopa

A shot from the movie "Litvyak"

Photo: "Cinema Atmosphere"

A large-scale war drama from the creators of "28 Panfilovites" about the most successful female pilot of the Second World War, Lydia Litvyak. Their ace pilot was affectionately called the "White Lily of Stalingrad" for the drawing on the hood of her plane, but for the enemy she was a ruthless iron bird.

According to the plot of the biographical picture, at the age of 21, Lydia Litvyak is fighting in the sky in the ranks of a fighter aviation regiment. She is quickly becoming one of the most effective aces. Where, it would seem, there is no place for light, she finds love in the person of her colleague Alexei Solomatin.