Kira Kovalenko Unclenching The Fists (Russia, 2021)
The film opens with a close up of a young woman. She stands against a wall. A sweater is pulled up covering most of her face. Her eyes are piercing towards something out of frame. “Ada!” “Ada!” “Adadza!”
A young man approaches. He is adamant for Ada to get in his van. She refuses. It is quite an uneasy feeling not knowing this man’s intentions. Another young man shows up and chases the first away and runs up the side of the busy highway acting as though he will fight the other boy who has long driven off.
Unclenching The Fists is the second film by Kira Kovalenko. The story is set small mining town of Mizur, which sits high, in the mountains of North Ossetia between steep cliffs. The way the mountains frame the tiny town it is difficult to see beyond this tiny community. The mountains have a harsh, stultifying beauty.
This is Ada’s story who is played by Milana Aguzarova. Adadza lives at home with her father Zaur (Alik Karaev) and brother Dakko (Khetag Bibilov). At the dinner table that night Zaur smells perfume and is adamant that Ada has worn it for somebody. She is also adamant that she just wanted to wear it. There is an unease and tension that runs through this family. Later that night Dakko invades Ada’s room and crawls into bed with her. He grasps her and refuses to let go. We are never quite sure of the well being of Ada.
The next day Ada is at her job in a tiny store. The young man from the beginning the film Tamik (Arsen Khetagurov) shows up. Once again is adamant that Ada joins him. Once again we do not know his intentions. Tamik steals her purse. Ada gets in the van. They drive around. Bored kids throw fireworks against the side of a building. They arrive in an abandoned area and Tamik proceeds to spin the van around in circles. Ada in the back of the van is jostled around. She laughs. Tamik takes her home.
Dinner is being prepared and another man is in the apartment. He has cauliflower ears, that of a boxer. This is Ada’s other brother Akim (Soslan Khugaev). With Akim’s return home for a visit the usual tension of the family is even higher. We learn that the father is dying and get our first indication of what has happened to Ada. A massive tragedy has happened and it has impacted the bonds of this family.
The entire film hinges on the performance of Milana Aguzarova as Adadza. As director Kira Kovalenko said during her video introduction the film, the actors in the movie are non-actors. The depth that Milana brings to her role is incredible. You can see it in her eyes in the photographs that accompany this piece.
The men in Ada’s life care for her very much, of this there are no doubt. That being said their embraces are long and awkward. They could not protect her once before. It is as if they let go they will lose her. The decisions the father makes concerning Ada, see her trying to pull away from. The father is getting sicker and returns an item back to Ada of which she can go forth with her life. He has relinquished his hold on her.
If there is a running theme of world cinema this year, that runs through films I have seen, than perhaps it is this, how does one cope with the heavy weight of tragedy and continue to live life. Which is at the core, a fundamental human dilemma. Ultimately the film poses the question, which is more important, security or freedom? We constantly ask this question individually and as a society. Ada now has the freedom to make this choice for herself. On the back a motorcycle speeding out of town she makes it. We may not agree with her decision but that is not our choice to make. Ada was finally given the opportunity to make hers and she answers that question for herself.
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