Film Alone In Four Walls
| Film | Alone in Four Walls IMDb, IMDb Discussion board |
| Code | ALONE |
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| Genre | Documentary |
| Director | Alexandra Westmeier IMDb |
| Actors | |
| Cat | World Cinema Documentary |
| Year | 2007 |
| Release | 2008 |
| Country | Germany |
| Runtime | 85 min |
| Format | Color, Sony HD Cam |
| Dynamic | |
| Synopses |
Adolescent boys struggle to grow up in a home for juvenile delinquents in rural Russia, where life behind bars may be better than the release to freedom. Filmmaker Alexandra Westmeier provides an intimate glimpse at a society from the inside out, where boys under the age of 14 are held for crimes ranging from theft to rape to multiple murders. They receive food and clothing. They go to school and engage in sports. For the first time in their young lives, they no longer have to fight for their daily existence; they can simply be what they are—children. Like many of the boys here, Tolya, a murderer, recounts his crimes with unnerving nonchalance. Nonetheless, moments come through in each lad’s speech or mannerisms that reveal the child within the criminal. A 13-year-old newbie is not even allowed to say good-bye to his mother. He fights back tears that somehow reflect the sorrows of all his comrades.
Eschewing sentimentality, the elegantly crafted Alone in Four Walls is documentary filmmaking of the highest order. Austere, yet undeniably powerful, Westmeier’s heart-wrenching film literally rises in song, becoming a poignant ode to a lost generation of Russian youth.
They have stolen, committed assault, killed: all whilst still under
fourteen years of age. These youngsters, who live in closed
institutions in the Urals, are all quite ready to recount their
offences and their lives. Their unhappy expressions only brighten when
they talk of their passions and their hopes. This rehabilitation center
provides them with food and clothing. They go to school and practice
sports. They no longer have to fight to survive, since they have found
a temporary refuge. Many of them have had no family or reliable support
in life. There is no place for them in the sad world of their parents,
who are often alcoholics, unemployed, living in hovels. Ljoscha, a
thief, has just arrived. He was not even able to say goodbye to his
mother. Fighting back tears, he tries to adapt to his new environment.
Tolja, a murderer, is soon to be released. His village, to which he
plans to return, offers him no chance of redemption. |
| Links | FilmThreat |
| Cinematical | |
| SlashFilm | |
| Yahoo Movies | |
| Trailers | |
| Filmmaker's Bio |
Alexandra Westmeier - Alexandra Westmeier, whose maiden name was Alexandra Salomatova, was born on August 1, 1973, in Chelyabinsk, Russia. She studied as a stage and film actress at the St Petersburg State Academy of the Theatrical Arts (1990–1995). She later studied stage direction at the Russian Academy of the Theatrical Arts in Moscow (1996–2000). Westmeier has lived in Berlin, Germany, since 2001. In 2006, together with her husband, Inigo Westmeier, she founded Linger On Filmproduction. |
| Multimedia | |
| Quotes | |
| Misc Info |
Pr: Inigo Westmeier, Alexandra Westmeier |