Ayka

Ayka has just given birth to a child. She doesn’t have any friends, a steady job or a partner, not even her own room, and owes a lot of money. Faced with grave danger, the young mother is forced to make the most important decision in her life. Is giving the child away best for both of them? A story about female strength and one of the most suggestive depictions of modern Moscow in contemporary cinema. Thought-provoking and controversial.

selected awards

Festival du Cannes 2018: Best Performance by an Actress Prize for Samal Yeslyamova
FilmFestival Cottbus 2018: Main Prize for Best Film; Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
All About Freedom Festival in Gdansk 2018: President of the City of Gdansk Award

written by Sergiej Dworcewoj, Gennadiy Ostrovskiy
director of photography Jolanta Dylewska
production design Olga Jurasowa, Maria Turskaja, Aleksiej Filimonow, Alewtina Grunina
make-up Tomasz Matraszek
edited by Sergiej Dworcewoj, Petar Markovic
cast Samal Jesljamowa, Aleksandr Zlatopolskiy
production Kinodvor, Pallas Film GmbH, Otter Films
producers Sergiej Dworcewoj, Martin Hampel, Thanassis Karathanos, Michel Merkt, Gulnara Sarsenowa, Anna Wydra
co-financed by Polski Instytut Sztuki Filmowej
distributed by Against Gravity