Marussia

Marussia is a Russian girl of six who loves to play dress-up. She and her mother create fantasy worlds of light and shadow, with fairy wands and wings. But when the imaginary games stop, the reality of homelessness sets in. Kicked out of their apartment, mother and daughter wander the streets of Paris, wheeling their suitcases behind them. Lucia takes good care of Marussia, seeking connections in Russian churches and emigrant groups. Attractive, put-together, and a fluent French speaker, she’s bold and easy-going with men, claiming to be a fashion journalist, or that she’s been writing her memoirs in Goa. Every time they’re in a good situation though, Lucia moves them on – waiting, she says, for something wonderful to happen. But one day Marussia puts her foot down; she’s tired of pretending she’s a princess. MARUSSIA is a warm and beautiful film about the love that holds us as tight as a mother’s embrace, even in extreme circumstances. (In French and Russian with subtitles) – B.B.