The Whaler Boy
| The Whaler Boy | |
|---|---|
Russian theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Philippe Youriev |
| Screenplay by | Philippe Youriev |
| Cinematography | Mikhail Khoursevitch Yakov Mironitchev |
| Edited by | Alexandr Krylov Karolina Maciejewska |
| Music by | Krzysztof A. Janczak |
| Distributed by |
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Release date |
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| Countries | Russia Belgium Poland |
| Language | Russian |
The Whaler Boy (Russian: Китобой, lit. 'Kitoboï') is a 2020 coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Philippe Youriev, at his feature film debut.
A co-production between Russia, Poland and Belgium, the film premiered at the 77th edition of the Venice Film Festival, in which it won the GdA Director's Award.
Plot
Cast
- Vladimir Onokhov as Lyochka
- Kristina Asmous as the American
- Vladimir Lyubimtsev as Kolian
- Nikolay Tatato as the grandfather
- Arieh Worthalter as the border guard
- Maria Chuprinskaia as the blonde
Production
The film was produced by Rock Films, Orka and Man's Films Productions.[1] It was shot over a period of seven years in the Chukotka region.[2]
Release
The film premiered at the 77th Venice International Film Festival, in the Giornate degli Autori sidebar, in which it won the section's main award, the Director's Award.[3]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 93% of 15 critics' reviews are positive.[4] Variety film critic Jessica Kiang described it as "an ambitious, sometimes self-consciously ironic blend of genres and influences, which perhaps convince most when they do not cohere."[5] William Repass from Slant Magazine called it "a vivid rumination on the fuzzy border between fantasy and reality", where "coming of age is inseparable from disillusionment."[6]
For this film Youriev won the Nika Award as Discovery of the Year.[7] The film also won the Transilvania Trophy for best film at the Transilvania International Film Festival.[8]
References
- ^ Scarpa, Vittoria (5 September 2020). "Review: The Whaler Boy". Cineuropa. Retrieved 27 April 2025.
- ^ "The 3rd Online Screening of Russian and Central Asian Films was held". TSUKUBA. 16 February 2022. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
- ^ Pond, Steve (12 September 2020). "'Nomadland' Wins Golden Lion Award at Venice Film Festival". TheWrap. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
- ^ "The Whaler Boy". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 27 April 2025.
- ^ Kiang, Jessica (15 January 2022). "'The Whaler Boy' Review: A Potent If Uneven Coming-of-Age Drama With a Striking, Lyrical Edge". Variety. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
- ^ Repass, William (11 January 2022). "'The Whaler Boy' Review: Love and Disillusionment in the Borderlands". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
- ^ "Снятый на Чукотке фильм "Китобой" стал лауреатом премии "Ника"". Prochukotku.ru. 27 April 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
- ^ Blaney, Martin. "'The Whaler Boy' wins top prize at 2021 Transilvania film festival". Screen International. Retrieved 7 November 2025.