Olga

The film is set in 2014 and tells the story of 15-year-old Ukrainian gymnast Olga. Because her father was Swiss she is able to relocate to Switzerland, where she prepares to compete for the Swiss national team. While she throws herself into intense training and tries to adjust to her new environment, the Maidan Revolution is erupting in her home country. As she follows the development at a safe distance, Olga is plagued by feelings of guilt and powerlessness for leaving behind her friends and family, including her journalist mother, whose life is in serious danger after having reported on the regime’s corruption.

Director Elie Grappe cast Anastasiia Budiashkina, a real-life former gymnast in the Ukrainian national team, in the role of Olga because of her singular presence, which is clearly on display in this award-winning drama. It premiered at the Cannes film festival in 2021, but in light of the ongoing war in Ukraine, its resonance has only grown stronger.