Vozvrashcheniye
Encyclopedia
The Return is a 2003 Russian film released internationally in 2004. It tells the story of two Russian boys whose father suddenly returns home after a 12-year absence. He takes the boys on a holiday to a remote island on a lake that turns into a test of manhood of almost mythic proportions. It won the Golden Lion
at the Venice Film Festival
.
to each other to make up for their fatherless childhood
. Both their mother and grandmother live with them. After running home after a fight with each other, the boys are shocked to discover their father
has returned after a 12-year absence. With their mother's uneasy blessing, Ivan and Andrei set out on what they believe will be a simple fishing
vacation with him.
Andrei is delighted to be reunited with the father whereas Ivan is full of reservation towards the man whom they only knows from a faded photograph.
At first both bothers are pleased with the prospect of an exciting journey, but they soon strain under the weight of their dad's awkward and increasingly brutal efforts to make up for the missing decade. Ivan and Andrei find themselves alternately tested, rescued, scolded, mentored, scrutinized, and ignored by the man. Andrei seems to look up to his father while Ivan remains stubbornly defensive.
As truck stops and cafés give way to rain-swept, primevally beautiful wilderness
coastline, Ivan's doubts give way to open defiance. Andrei's powerful need to bond
with a father he's never known begins, in turn, to distance him from Ivan. Ivan and his father's test of wills escalate into bitter hostility
and sudden violence after the trio arrives at their mysterious island destination.
and the Gulf of Finland
. The budget of the film remains a secret, though in an interview the director and the producer hinted that it was well below $500,000. The director also mentioned that the producers made their money back even before it was screened at Venice Film Festival.
European Film Awards
Palm Springs International Film Festival
Golden Globe Award
Golden Lion
Il Leone d’Oro is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Festival. The prize was introduced in 1949 by the organizing committee and is now regarded as one of the film industry's most distinguished prizes...
at the Venice Film Festival
Venice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
.
Plot
In contemporary Russia, young brothers Ivan (the younger one) and Andrei have grown a deep attachmentAttachment theory
Attachment theory describes the dynamics of long-term relationships between humans. Its most important tenet is that an infant needs to develop a relationship with at least one primary caregiver for social and emotional development to occur normally. Attachment theory is an interdisciplinary study...
to each other to make up for their fatherless childhood
Childhood
Childhood is the age span ranging from birth to adolescence. In developmental psychology, childhood is divided up into the developmental stages of toddlerhood , early childhood , middle childhood , and adolescence .- Age ranges of childhood :The term childhood is non-specific and can imply a...
. Both their mother and grandmother live with them. After running home after a fight with each other, the boys are shocked to discover their father
Father
A father, Pop, Dad, or Papa, is defined as a male parent of any type of offspring. The adjective "paternal" refers to father, parallel to "maternal" for mother...
has returned after a 12-year absence. With their mother's uneasy blessing, Ivan and Andrei set out on what they believe will be a simple fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
vacation with him.
Andrei is delighted to be reunited with the father whereas Ivan is full of reservation towards the man whom they only knows from a faded photograph.
At first both bothers are pleased with the prospect of an exciting journey, but they soon strain under the weight of their dad's awkward and increasingly brutal efforts to make up for the missing decade. Ivan and Andrei find themselves alternately tested, rescued, scolded, mentored, scrutinized, and ignored by the man. Andrei seems to look up to his father while Ivan remains stubbornly defensive.
As truck stops and cafés give way to rain-swept, primevally beautiful wilderness
Wilderness
Wilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with...
coastline, Ivan's doubts give way to open defiance. Andrei's powerful need to bond
Paternal bond
A paternal bond refers to the relationship between a father and his child. In the U.S., legal paternity is presumed for the husband of the mother unless a separate action is taken; an unmarried man may establish paternity by signing a voluntary recognition of paternity or by taking court action...
with a father he's never known begins, in turn, to distance him from Ivan. Ivan and his father's test of wills escalate into bitter hostility
Hostility
Hostility is a form of angry internal rejection or denial in psychology. It is a part of personal construct psychology, developed by George Kelly...
and sudden violence after the trio arrives at their mysterious island destination.
Cast
- Vladimir GarinVladimir GarinVladimir Garin was a Russian actor, and star of the critically acclaimed film Vozvrashcheniye , titled as The Return in the English-speaking world....
as Andrei - Ivan DobronravovIvan DobronravovIvan Dobronravov is a Russian actor. He is best known for his lead role in the 2003 film, Vozvrashchenie...
as Ivan (Vanya) - Konstantin LavronenkoKonstantin LavronenkoKonstantin Nikolaevich Lavronenko is a Russian actor most commonly accredited for his performance as the mysterious father of two boys in 2003 film Vozvrashcheniye...
as Father - Natalia Vdovina as Mother
Production
The Return was filmed on and around Lake LadogaLake Ladoga
Lake Ladoga is a freshwater lake located in the Republic of Karelia and Leningrad Oblast in northwestern Russia, not far from Saint Petersburg. It is the largest lake in Europe, and the 14th largest lake by area in the world.-Geography:...
and the Gulf of Finland
Gulf of Finland
The Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland and Estonia all the way to Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. Other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn...
. The budget of the film remains a secret, though in an interview the director and the producer hinted that it was well below $500,000. The director also mentioned that the producers made their money back even before it was screened at Venice Film Festival.
Awards and nominations
Venice Film FestivalVenice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
- Winner, Golden LionGolden LionIl Leone d’Oro is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Festival. The prize was introduced in 1949 by the organizing committee and is now regarded as one of the film industry's most distinguished prizes...
- Winner, Best First Film
European Film Awards
- Winner, European Discovery of the Year (Fassbinder Award)
Palm Springs International Film Festival
Palm Springs International Film Festival
Palm Springs International Film Festival is a film festival held in Palm Springs, California. It was started in 1989 and is held annually in January...
- Winner, Best Foreign Film
Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
- Nominee, Best Foreign Language Film Russia