Brief Encounters

Valentina is a young woman who has everything in life: husband, a good job, high social status. But this does not fill the void around her. Her husband – a geologist (Russian cult singer-songwriter Vladimir Vysotsky) – is always away, her work in public administration tedious, her apartment empty. When a young girl (Nina Ruslanova) arrives in town and falls in love with her husband, Valentina observes this with a mix of curiosity, compassion and detachment.
Muratova considers this film the real start of her turbulent artistic career. It indeed distinguishes her unique voice and vision. Both are based on paradoxes: the romanticism comes together with the disillusionment, the passionate tone turns into aloofness, and vice versa.
When the lead actress dropped out at the last minute, Muratova was forced to play the part of Valentina herself. She gave an impressive performance, but has never acted in films again.

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