Beginnings: Beanpole (2019)

Beginnings' is a section where we pick up a film at random and visually explore their starting scene.

Beanpole was Russia's official entry in the Best Foreign Film category at the Academy Awards. It was also won a Directing award in Un Certain Regard category at Cannes.

The first image of this film is a tight shot of a woman staring fixated at something off-screen. Another woman can be spotted, out of focus in the background,

Her name is called 'Iya' and the caller shakes her by her shoulder but she does not respond This tells us that she is in some kind of trance.

The Caller, who is either a child or really short tries pulling her cheek and pressing her nose, but Iya fails to 'wake up'

The Caller moves away to speak to the other woman in the background and we see that she is not a child but Iya is really tall. The two women talk. Their conversation shows us that this is not happening for the first time.

Iya slowly swims out of her trance and looks around -confused and slightly embarrassed.

The Caller comes to Iya again and gives her some instructions.

Iya listens like a child, nods, and leaves as the woman looks at her.

This is how it begins!

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