The Swan Song of Fedor Ozerov

One of the most enjoyable films from the east european lineup of the Berlinale, The Swan Song of Fedor Ozerov might appear at first like a disaster: a mise-en-scène reminiscent at best of a cheap television drama, at worst of an amateur film, with the protagonist's room closely reminding a poorly setup ikea sample room, an abscence of any notion of lighting and framing. Yet none of this holds back the film, that still has heart, and a sweeping energy.

As the news cast the ominous arrival of a world war within days, young belarus musician Fedor Ozerov has other issues on his mind: to find a precious sweater that he believes to have inspirational powers. Largely comedic, his journey echoes somehow classical mythology, while describing the apathy of an expatriate that feels impotent in front of global phenomena. As a film made in Lithuania by a Belarus - both aspects that remain slightly concealed in the narrative - Fedor Ozerov does not only describe the condition of the expatriates that fled the russian sphere, it tries to shake up, to instill a new energy.

The storyline, simple but never predictable, drives this film, and does so with a firm grip. The low budget, semi-amateurish production completely dissipates, the story is engaging enough to cause that magical involvement that moving images cause. It is this primal power of the cinematic language that Fedor Ozerov is driven by, and that makes it more appealing than any technically sound, but not as passionate films are like.

RATING: 3.5/5

Original title: The Swan Song of Fedor Ozerov

Directed by: Yuri Semashko

Country: Lithuania / Belarus

Year: 2025

Length: 78 min.

Premiere: Berlinale 2025