Critic's Grade: A+

It's a sad but honest, controversial portrait that has no remorse for the young souls who wander aimlessly on the city streets of Moscow. Now, after feasting my weary, sad eyes on this documentary short film that brings us into their underworld. We venture on a frightening, sickening scene where they panhandle to seek refuge from starvation and sickness that shortly follows.

Hanna Polak and Andrej Celinski direct this gloomy and overwhelming life as a homeless child it all takes place through their eyes. With nowhere to go but into dirty and diseased garbage containers, old stairwells, and the underground transit stations where they sleep on the cold, and wet ground. Taking on the dangerous system of their homeland-watching friends get badly hurt or killed on the lonely and bitter streets of Moscow. They live to only survive whatever the danger opposes them if it is right or wrong they will band together.

But, how can anyone live through this kind of crisis especially under these deplorable conditions and being a young kid. The Directors get this first hand glimpse with interviews, recorded footage, and set a personal archive of these retched, and severely harsh conditions. They live everywhere that they can find a home there are about 30,000 homeless children that barely survive or die under hideous rules.

Most of them come from disturbing backgrounds from parents who just didn't want them anymore. For the most part they runaway from abusive families and become part this underworld that comes with uncontrollable freedom. They have developed such a hatred for authority figures they lash out with brutality against them. Either hooked on drugs or have an addiction of some kind they live life on the unpleasant edge of disaster. The film got an academy award nomination for best short subject documentary and rightfully deserved a brilliant piece of filmmaking that should be remembered and preserved for years to come.

Dan's Review **** star(s)

All Reviews by Dan Berman
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