STORM

A young man with a bad haircut — Alexey, or simply Lesha — drifts through the darkness of a Berlin winter. Over two days, we follow his seemingly ordinary routine, filled with casual encounters and quiet observations. But Lesha carries a secret: he’s a deserter from the Russian army.

Fragments of his everyday life intertwine with documentary footage and private archives, gradually shaping a portrait of a Russian emigrant on fire.

STORM is director Vladlena Savenkova’s artistic reflection on the Russian war in Ukraine and at the same time mourning for the homeland that no longer exists. She is currently studying Directing at the DFFB and working as a writer-director for ARTE’s “Tracks East” programme.