Common Language

The director, who has always been viewed as the black sheep in her family, sets out to the Belarusian town of Vitebsk to talk with her parents about previous grievances and topics that were considered taboo. The effort to find a common language, which runs into stormy emotions and the inability to voice honest opinions, is captured through both personal moments and detailed shots of the protagonists’ faces.  “I decided to visit my parents in Vitebsk so that I could talk with them about things I didn’t have the courage to speak about before, and to ask them some crucial questions.” V. Chajkouskaya