Crystal Swan (Darya Zhuk, 2018): Belarus | USA | Germany | Russia

Reviewed by Helios Miller. Viewed at the 2019 Santa Barbara Film Festival.

Move your body by Marshall Jefferson jumps as we watch a young woman of no loyalties maneuver her way through a post independence Belarus drenched in the washed out neon of the nineties. This films setting, not only aesthetically pleasing, but is so well characterized by its fine details and character, any story set within it would be worth watching. However, on top of that the journey our protagonist undertakes only adds to its charm.

The house music anthem has its place in our story, as our young lead tries to immigrate to the United States to become a DJ in Chicago. To do so she must lie, cheat, and scrape together everything she has to leave a home with the mark of soviet rule still fresh stamped on its soil. Meanwhile we follow our protengest’s mom and ex-boyfriend who strangely act as comic relief characters.

As I’ve said before this film’s world building is outstanding. The fine grit of her city, the small stories told in its background, and the amazing set design makes you feel transported. A favorite of mine being a nightclub filled with soviet statues. While it’s easy to make a character seem selfish and ruthless by cheating everyone she meets, there are not many moments where you question her judgement. However there are some narrative and character issues.

The boyfriend is a very obvious issue as he doesn’t add much to the story and is wholly two dimensional. As a goofy drug addict, he might serve as comic relief as he later gets paired with our protagonists mom, but because neither carry their own weight they seem unnecessary. However, the films ending, without going into detail, leaves you very unsatisfied in a way where story threads aren’t tied off without a more grand narrative purpose.

While the film has moments as if it’s lost sight of its own end, the setting has a character of its own that makes you want to stay around. It’s not often I connect with a film the way I did Crystal swan. If you need a short vacation this is a destination that won’t disappoint.