The Stroll

Alexei Uchitel's 2003 Russian film follows three young people walking through Saint Petersburg over a single day. A young woman and the two men who join her along the way cross the city end to end; the film is almost entirely in motion, shot handheld in long takes. The energy and the aimlessness of the first generation to grow up free in post-communist Russia are visible at once. There is a game at the middle of the story, and explaining it would spoil the film; but the structure rests on the characters not being honest with each other. Uchitel's method is technically demanding: the crew worked in real streets among real crowds, which gives the film a documentary texture. Irina Pegova's performance is what keeps the attention. Who it's for: viewers who like Russian cinema of the 2000s, single-day narratives and youth films set in cities. Who it's not for: anyone who will find the constantly moving camera uncomfortable, or who wants plot and resolution.