Altered Innocence has picked up U.S. rights to Kateryna Gornostai’s debut feature film “Stop-Zemlia,” which just had its world premiere in the Generation 14plus section of the Berlin Film Festival.
The film follows Masha, her two best friends, and the rest of their class through parties, field trips and romance in their last year of high school. The film will start making appearances at U.S. festivals this spring followed by a theatrical release in early 2022.
In the film, introverted high school girl Masha sees herself as an outsider unless she’s hanging out with her two best friends, Yana and Senia, who share her non-conformist status. While trying to navigate through her last year of school, Masha falls in love in a way that forces her out of her comfort zone.
The film is “a deeply personal story about self-discovery and the patience it requires,” according to a press statement.
The deal was negotiated between Frank Jaffe from Altered Innocence and Manola Novelli from Pluto Film.
Jaffe commented: “This film took me completely by surprise. Kateryna Gornostai’s debut feature takes a nuanced yet jubilant view of Ukrainian youth and creates a universal experience that nearly anyone can relate to. I can’t wait for people to fall in love with this gorgeous film.”
Novelli added, “We strongly believe in Kateryna’s talent and we are very happy that Altered Innocence shares our enthusiasm for this amazing film.”