There's a heartbreaking moment in Stop, Zemlia! (a game that goes a bit like Pin a Tail) when most of the movie's teenage protagonists go to a gun-shooting demo put on by the Army. It's as if they were preparing for what's happening to them now, and getting their high-schoolers ready for combat. While the movie is not about the fate of the Ukraine, it makes watching this tale of angst-ridden adolescence all the more poignant. Turns out Ukrainian kids have the same problems ours do: cutting, depression, drugs, bullying, too much phone time, ADD; but in Kateryna Gornostai's superbly deft, loving portrait of her subjects, they do so with endearing, eloquence, and even a stoic, humorous charm you won't be able to resist. This is not a Marvel caper, so don't expect pace, or even plot. This is a tender slice of teenage life, reminiscent perhaps of Richard Linklater's "Boyhood", and in its more documentary moments, of Mike Mills's C'mon C'mon. You need to be patient, open, and willing to risk discomfort to watch this movie, the way you might be with your at-home teen. The rewards will be abundant. An uplifting and deeply affecting debut.

I was amazed by the beautiful shots. This movie shows the life of an average Ukrainian teenager in a realistic way. It doesn't have a specific plot, but it's all about enjoyment and living in the moment. I also loved all the metaphors used in the movie. Truly one of a kind.

Last year finding a bundle of gems during the online Glasgow Film Festival,I was intrigued to learn that this year the Edinburgh Film Festival is doing a mix of in person,and online screenings, which led to me going to meet Zemlia.

View on the film:

Breaking away from recording Masha's last year at school with in-character interviews, debut co-editor(with Nikon Romanchenko) writer/director Kateryna Gornostai & cinematographer Oleksandr Roshchyn superbly blur the line between documentary and fictional feature film maker, thanks to igniting a hangout atmosphere.

Gornostai criss-crosses from a disco lights-lit wonderfully understated high school prom dance sequence,to delicate, documentary-style close-ups on Masha taking the first step out of the safety net of being surrounded by her friends Yana and Senia (played by the terrific trio of Maria Fedorchenko, Arsenii Markov and Yana Isaienko, all of whom come from a non-professional acting background, which helps to give the friendship of the trio a naturalistic quality.)

Placing the emphasizes on exploring Masha's coming of age in hanging out with pals and self-discovery in her first real attempt for a romantic life, the screenplay by Gornostai dances to the documentary/hangout beat of the directing, as Masha battles her internal introverted mind-set whilst attempting to catch the loving eye of the more aloof Sasha,that is threaded by playful,driven by fluid hand held camera moves into extended set-pieces getting up close-close to Masha and her two best friends,as they stop Zemlia.