Russia’s official submission to the 2019 Oscars, 27 year old (then – now 28) director Kantemir Balagov’s Beanpole (Dylda) left our audience in a state of ecstatic shock tonight.   For a few, the memory of propaganda surrounding the “great patriotic war” was uncomfortably close to home, but for those of us lucky enough to be peeking through this window for the first time, or perhaps looking through the same window with a different perspective, this tableau of beautiful bleakness was a gorgeous treat, with outstanding performances by Viktoria Miroshnichenko and Vasilisa Perelygina. I’m already looking forward to watching it again with some dinner guests (you know who you are). Thank you to my lovely friend Anastasia Komarova for suggesting (insisting, even) that I see this ))

Tonight’s short feature was Le Silence de la rue, directed by Marie Opron. Also beautiful.

And, yes… of course there was banana bread!