The Student

Directed by Kirill Serebrennikov

Adapted from German dramatist Marius von Mayenburg’s recent play MartyrThe Student (Uchenik) represents a qualitative leap forward for Kirill Serebrennikov. The writer-director is best known outside Russia for his 2012 Venice competition entrant Betrayal, a glacially beautiful but markedly inscrutable drama that failed to travel far beyond the festival circuit. The Student offers both a universally relevant examination of religious zealotry and, at the same time, a damning, satirical look at modern Russia, a country whose major institutions have become increasingly dominated and cowed by medieval-minded reactionaries and bigots.

Duration:
118 minutes

Translated title:
Uchenik

Languages:
Russian

Subtitles:
Full English

Country of origin:
Russia

Year of production:
2016