BORDERLINES FILM FESTIVAL 2025

DIRECTOR: Cécile Embleton, Alys Tomlinson
UK, 2024, 1 HOUR 31 MINUTES, BELARUSIAN/FRENCH/ENGLISH + ENGLISH SUBTITLES

This visually stunning documentary about an Orthodox nun, filmed largely in black and white, gradually overturns our preconceptions.

We first encounter Vera in the hidden Belarusian monastery where she has sought refuge from her precarious past for twenty years. Her face, set off by her austere black garb, is strikingly ageless and timeless. She has an incredible affinity with horses. But we learn that she faces deep inner conflict. Now, she must confront her past and trust her instincts to find the liberation she desires.

Embleton and Tomlinson’s extraordinary documentary feature debut lends Vera the space to tell her story of redemption, as she embarks on a spiritual journey of self-realisation and acceptance.

“this transfixingly beautiful film is …a must for festivals…” Jonathan Romney, Screen Daily

Grierson Award for Best Documentary, BFI London Film Festival 2024

Preview courtesy of Indox