Resentment

Ukraine, the Soviet Union, 1990. Like many teenagers, 17-year-old Yasha is rebelling against authority. But in his homeland, some opposing forces are more dangerous than others. Yasha gets into trouble at school for playing the wrong kind of music. The head teacher not only reprimands him for his alleged misbehaviour but also for his Jewishness. Although Yasha is used to this kind of hostility, the incident still leaves him shaken. He knows he will do great in New York where his family is definitely going to go. Feeling the time is right to start burning some bridges, Yasha distances himself from his girlfriend Lilya. But that night, he learns that his dad categorically rejects the idea of emigrating. Yasha is crushed. In addition to feeling unwelcome in his school and town, he is also stricken by a deep sense of loss. Horribly disappointed by his father who is standing in the way of his longed-for escape, Yasha sets off on a journey that will take him to the precipice of irreparable harm. (Berlinale)