Cuckoo, The

aka: Kukushka
Russian Federation 2002, 99 minutes
Dir. Aleksandr Rogozhkin
In Russian, Finnish, Sammi with English subtitles
Rating: [M]
Genres: Foreign Cinema, Drama / War

Topics: Period 1940s.

Feat. Anni-Kristiina Juuso, Ville Haapasalo, Viktor Bychkov

Aroview: An earthy drama of non-communication set amid the frozen WW2 battleground of Lapland, where a pacifist Finnish soldier, a survivalist Russian soldier and a local, sex-starved woman farmer, form a bizarre triangle, each unable to understand the others' language (though we can, with subtitles).

Mixing wordless thriller, saucy comedy, and pacifist allegory, this is actually a surprisingly integrated and unrestrained work, with three excellent performances and a wonderful arctic atmosphere.

NZ International Film Festival 2003