''Ashes in the Snow'' is a
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...
based on
''The New York Times'' best selling novel ''
Between Shades of Gray
''Between Shades of Gray'', a ''New York Times'' Best Seller, is the debut novel of Lithuanian-American novelist Ruta Sepetys. It follows the Stalinist repressions of the mid-20th century and follows the life of a teenage girl Lina as she is de ...
'' by
Ruta Sepetys
Ruta Sepetys ( lt, Rūta Šepetys; born November 19, 1967) is a Lithuanian-American writer of historical fiction. As an author, she is a ''New York Times'' and international bestseller and winner of the Carnegie Medal.
She is a Rockefeller Foun ...
. The film is a
coming-of-age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can ...
tale of a young teenager named Lina who, with her mother and younger brother, was
deported from her native Lithuania to a Soviet
gulag
The Gulag, an acronym for , , "chief administration of the camps". The original name given to the system of camps controlled by the GPU was the Main Administration of Corrective Labor Camps (, )., name=, group= was the government agency in ...
amid Stalin's
occupation of the Baltic region during World War II. An aspiring artist, she secretly documents her harrowing journey with her drawings.
''Ashes in the Snow'' stars
Aistė Diržiūtė
Aistė Diržiūtė (born 18 October 1991) is a Lithuanian actress best known for her role as Austė in '' The Summer of Sangaile'' (Lithuanian: ''Sangailė'' or ''Sangailės Vasara'').
Biography
Early life and career beginnings
Diržiūtė was ...
,
Bel Powley
Isobel Dorothy Powley (born 7 March 1992) is an English actress. Powley was born and raised in London, where she was educated at Holland Park School. She began acting as a teenager on television, starring on the CBBC action television series '' ...
,
Martin Wallström
Carl Martin Gunnar Wallström Milkéwitz (born 7 July 1983) is a Swedish television and film actor. A successful actor in his home country, he is best known internationally for his 2015 American debut role as Tyrell Wellick in the USA Network cyb ...
,
Lisa Loven Kongsli
Lisa Loven Kongsli (born 23 September 1979) is a Norwegian actress.
She debuted as an actress in 2008, and has since had key parts in Norwegian films. She has also had roles in films, including '' Fatso'' (2008), ''Knerten'' (2009), and ''The Or ...
,
Jonah Hauer-King
Jonah Andre Hauer-King (born 30 May 1995) is an English actor. He has starred in the films ''The Last Photograph'' (2017) and ''A Dog's Way Home'' (2019), and appeared in the television miniseries ''Howards End'' (2017), ''Little Women'' (2017) ...
,
Peter Franzén
Peter Vilhelm Franzén (born 14 August 1971) is a Finnish actor, author, screenwriter, and director. He is best known for his role as King Harald Finehair in ''Vikings'' (2016–2020).
Personal life
Franzén was born in Keminmaa, north Finland. ...
and
Sophie Cookson
Sophie Cookson (born 1989 or 1990) is an English actress best known for portraying secret agent Roxanne "Roxy" Morton / Lancelot in the 2014 spy film '' Kingsman: The Secret Service'' and its 2017 sequel '' The Golden Circle'', and for playing ...
. It had its world premiere at the
LA Film Festival
The LA Film Festival was an annual film festival that was held in Los Angeles, California, and usually took place in June. It showcased independent, international, feature, documentary and short films, as well as web series, music videos, episod ...
on 21 September 2018.
Plot
In 1941, sixteen-year old Lina Vilkas is preparing for art school, first dates and the summer holidays in her hometown of
Kaunas
Kaunas (; ; also see other names) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the largest city and the centre of a county in the Duchy of Trakai ...
in Lithuania. However, her father Kostas Vilkas is involved in the Lithuanian resistance against the Soviet
occupation of the Baltic states
The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were invaded and occupied in June 1940 by the Soviet Union, under the leadership of Stalin and auspices of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact that had been signed between Nazi Germany and the Soviet ...
, forging documents to help people escape Lithuania. One night, Lina along with her mother Elena, younger brother Jonas and friend Andrius are rounded up by the
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (russian: Наро́дный комиссариа́т вну́тренних дел, Naródnyy komissariát vnútrennikh del, ), abbreviated NKVD ( ), was the interior ministry of the Soviet Union.
...
and deported by train to a
gulag
The Gulag, an acronym for , , "chief administration of the camps". The original name given to the system of camps controlled by the GPU was the Main Administration of Corrective Labor Camps (, )., name=, group= was the government agency in ...
in the
Altaysky region in
Siberia
Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of ...
.
Lina and her family endure the harsh conditions during the journey. One of their fellow passengers, a young mother named Ona with an infant, is driven to despair by the death of her daughter, causing her to commit suicide by provoking her captors into shooting her. At the gulag, Commander Komarov offers Lina and her fellow prisoners a reduced sentence of 25 years if they sign a confession. Led by Elena, Lina and Jonas refuse to sign the confession and are subjected to harsher treatment. The gulag inmates are forced to grow crops including potatoes in order to meet their quotas.
Amidst the harsh and bleak surroundings, Lina documents her experiences through her art and notes while experiencing flashbacks of her carefree childhood. She also sends messages in her art in an attempt to contact her father's prison camp to let him know his family is still alive. Lina also develops a romantic relationship with Andrius who smuggles supplies to them. Realizing that Elena can speak Russian, Commander Komarov tries to recruit her as a translator but she refuses to collaborate with the enemy. Komarov later orders Lina to draw a portrait of him but she draws a caricature depicting him as a monster. In retaliation, Komarov burns her drawings and messages.
The NKVD guard Nikolai Kretzsky, an ethnic
Ukrainian
Ukrainian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Ukraine
* Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe
* Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine
* So ...
who is looked down upon by his
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
compatriots, becomes infatuated with Elena. After revealing that her husband Kostas was killed by Soviet forces, he attempts to rape her but Elena rebuffs him. Afterward Kretzsky assaults a Russian guard. Komarov "promotes" him to Commander and reassigns him to lead a new gulag on the island
Trofimovsky (russian: остров Трофимовский) in the
Laptev Sea
The Laptev Sea ( rus, мо́ре Ла́птевых, r=more Laptevykh; sah, Лаптевтар байҕаллара, translit=Laptevtar baỹğallara) is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean. It is located between the northern coast of Siberia, th ...
. Elena, Lina, and Jonas are reassigned to the Trofimovsk gulag.
Due to the harsh polar conditions and insufficient rations, Elena dies of ill health. Their mother's death compels Lina to demand better rations and warm clothing for the prisoners. To honor Elena's memory, a guilt-ridden Kretzsky grants Lina and Jonas an amnesty before committing suicide. The film ends with the two siblings walking on the beach towards their ship.
Cast
*
Bel Powley
Isobel Dorothy Powley (born 7 March 1992) is an English actress. Powley was born and raised in London, where she was educated at Holland Park School. She began acting as a teenager on television, starring on the CBBC action television series '' ...
as Lina Vilkas
*
Jonah Hauer-King
Jonah Andre Hauer-King (born 30 May 1995) is an English actor. He has starred in the films ''The Last Photograph'' (2017) and ''A Dog's Way Home'' (2019), and appeared in the television miniseries ''Howards End'' (2017), ''Little Women'' (2017) ...
as Andrius
*
Lisa Loven Kongsli
Lisa Loven Kongsli (born 23 September 1979) is a Norwegian actress.
She debuted as an actress in 2008, and has since had key parts in Norwegian films. She has also had roles in films, including '' Fatso'' (2008), ''Knerten'' (2009), and ''The Or ...
as Elena Vilkas
*
Sophie Cookson
Sophie Cookson (born 1989 or 1990) is an English actress best known for portraying secret agent Roxanne "Roxy" Morton / Lancelot in the 2014 spy film '' Kingsman: The Secret Service'' and its 2017 sequel '' The Golden Circle'', and for playing ...
as Ona
*
Martin Wallström
Carl Martin Gunnar Wallström Milkéwitz (born 7 July 1983) is a Swedish television and film actor. A successful actor in his home country, he is best known internationally for his 2015 American debut role as Tyrell Wellick in the USA Network cyb ...
as Nikolai Kretzsky
*
Peter Franzén
Peter Vilhelm Franzén (born 14 August 1971) is a Finnish actor, author, screenwriter, and director. He is best known for his role as King Harald Finehair in ''Vikings'' (2016–2020).
Personal life
Franzén was born in Keminmaa, north Finland. ...
as Commander Komarov
*
Sam Hazeldine
Samuel Hazeldine (born 29 March 1972) is an English actor working in film, television and theatre.
He is the son of actors James Hazeldine. and Rebecca Moore.
Early life
Sam Hazeldine was born in Hammersmith, London. He is the son of actors ...
as Kostas Vilkas
*
James Cosmo
James Ronald Gordon Copeland , known professionally as James Cosmo (b. 1947), is a Scottish film and television actor known for his appearances in films including '' Highlander'', ''Braveheart'', ''Trainspotting'', ''Jagame Thandhiram'', ''Tro ...
as Mr. Stalas
*Tom Sweet as Jonas Vilkas
*
Adrian Schiller
Adrian Schiller (born 21 February 1964) is an English actor.
Selected filmography
*''The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other'' (2008, theatre performance)
*''Terry Pratchett's Going Postal'' (2010) (cast as the Banshee, Mr Gryle)
*'' Being Hum ...
as The Man Who Winds His Watch
*Timothy Innes as Nojus
*
Aistė Diržiūtė
Aistė Diržiūtė (born 18 October 1991) is a Lithuanian actress best known for her role as Austė in '' The Summer of Sangaile'' (Lithuanian: ''Sangailė'' or ''Sangailės Vasara'').
Biography
Early life and career beginnings
Diržiūtė was ...
as Joana
*Greg Kolpakchi as Greshnev
*Nadja Bobyleva as Marija
*Sarah Finigan
Production
Casting
On 19 May 2015, it was announced that
Bel Powley
Isobel Dorothy Powley (born 7 March 1992) is an English actress. Powley was born and raised in London, where she was educated at Holland Park School. She began acting as a teenager on television, starring on the CBBC action television series '' ...
was attached to play the lead role of Lina Vilkas. On 3 November 2015, Jonah Hauer-King was added to the cast.
On 3 February 2016, it was announced that
Martin Wallström
Carl Martin Gunnar Wallström Milkéwitz (born 7 July 1983) is a Swedish television and film actor. A successful actor in his home country, he is best known internationally for his 2015 American debut role as Tyrell Wellick in the USA Network cyb ...
was cast as the movie's male lead, playing a Soviet officer taunted for being Ukrainian, who befriends the young girl and her mother.
Norwegian actress
Lisa Loven Kongsli
Lisa Loven Kongsli (born 23 September 1979) is a Norwegian actress.
She debuted as an actress in 2008, and has since had key parts in Norwegian films. She has also had roles in films, including '' Fatso'' (2008), ''Knerten'' (2009), and ''The Or ...
was cast as Lina's mother Elena Vilkas,
James Cosmo
James Ronald Gordon Copeland , known professionally as James Cosmo (b. 1947), is a Scottish film and television actor known for his appearances in films including '' Highlander'', ''Braveheart'', ''Trainspotting'', ''Jagame Thandhiram'', ''Tro ...
as Mr.Stalas, and
Peter Franzén
Peter Vilhelm Franzén (born 14 August 1971) is a Finnish actor, author, screenwriter, and director. He is best known for his role as King Harald Finehair in ''Vikings'' (2016–2020).
Personal life
Franzén was born in Keminmaa, north Finland. ...
as General Komarov.
Four Lithuanian actors were cast:
Aistė Diržiūtė
Aistė Diržiūtė (born 18 October 1991) is a Lithuanian actress best known for her role as Austė in '' The Summer of Sangaile'' (Lithuanian: ''Sangailė'' or ''Sangailės Vasara'').
Biography
Early life and career beginnings
Diržiūtė was ...
, Gabija Jaraminaitė, Darius Meškauskas, and Ramūnas Cicėnas.
Filming
In the late January 2016, filming began in
Nida, Lithuania
Nida (german: Nidden, Kursenieki: ''Nīde'') is a resort town in Lithuania, the administrative centre of Neringa municipality. Located on the Curonian Spit between the Curonian Lagoon and the Baltic Sea, it is the westernmost point of Lithuania a ...
. Filming in
Vilnius
Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...
began in April 2016 and moved to
Kaunas
Kaunas (; ; also see other names) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the largest city and the centre of a county in the Duchy of Trakai ...
in May.
Music
On 13 September 2018, an official song for the movie was released. It was announced that a cover of the
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
song "Ring Them Bells", performed by Lithuanian singer
Gjan, would appear in the end titles of "Ashes in the Snow". The music video for the song was directed by Marius Markevicius and features scenes from the movie.
Release
The film had its world premiere at the
LA Film Festival
The LA Film Festival was an annual film festival that was held in Los Angeles, California, and usually took place in June. It showcased independent, international, feature, documentary and short films, as well as web series, music videos, episod ...
on 21 September 2018.
Vertical Entertainment
Vertical Entertainment is an American film distribution and production company founded by producers Richard B. "Rich" Goldberg and Mitch Budin in 2012.
History
In 2012, Rich Goldberg & Mitch Budin founded Vertical Entertainment, a film distribut ...
will distribute the film in the United States.
Reception
On
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, the film received approval rating, based on reviews with an average rating of . It also holds a weighted average rating of 42 out of 100 on
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, based on 7 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
Ben Kenigsberg of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' said that the movie has "a few powerful images", while Cath Clarke of ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' called the movie "soapy". Stephen Farber of ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
,'' called the movie a "
im chronicle of a historical tragedy".
Rex Reed of ''
The Observer
''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...
'' called the movie "
other dreary Holocaust drama with no regard for narrative trajectory and an overwhelming lack of verbal coherence."
Reed was in error: the movie has nothing to do with the Holocaust but rather is about Soviet repression.
References
External links
*{{IMDb title, 3759298
2018 war drama films
2010s prison drama films
American war drama films
Lithuanian drama films
English-language Lithuanian films
American World War II films
American prison drama films
Vertical Entertainment films
Works about the Gulag
2010s English-language films
2010s American films
Films set in Siberia