THE BUDETLYANE

БУДЕТЛЯНЕ

Documentary,

Russian Federation

2025

Runtime, min

In Perm, there is a Workshop where children with mental disabilities (autism, Asperger's syndrome) work. It is called "Bydetlyane." After visiting a theater, the participants of the Workshop wanted to stage a play on their own. However, some of them have difficulty speaking, and almost none of them can memorize even a short text due to their mental disabilities. Despite these challenges, under the guidance of the Workshop's founder, Katya, and using folklore practices, the children have successfully achieved their goals.

Director:

Sergey Yuriy Chetverukhin

Selections and Awards:

REVIEWS:

An amazingly sunny and inspiring film. What beautiful people. So much kindness and love. How great it is that we are all so different and yet so united when genuine communication and interaction succeed! Thank you!

Live Screenings Attendee

To be completely honest, documentaries about mental disabilities aren't really my thing. I usually go for horror or comedy. But because it was only a 25-minute short, I watched. And I'm really glad I did! The kids are surprisingly funny and genuine. The rehearsals were chaotic but extremely charming. It actually left me with a big smile on my face.

Zoe Thompson

Очень важный проект. Что мне понравилось больше всего: режиссер не стал снимать слезовыжималку, а показал реальный, живой творческий процесс со всеми его сложностями. Концовка с этим забавным театральным диалогом про "ем людей, потому что голодный - это нечто! :) Коротко, емко и с большим смыслом. Респект!

Andrey Smirnov

A very honest piece of filmmaking.

Dong-wook Park

A beautiful exploration of alternative communication. Using Russian folklore practices to bypass memory and speech barriers in autism is a brilliant artistic and pedagogical tool. The director captured the children's vulnerability with great respect and delicacy. A tiny, precious gem of observational cinema. It definitely deserves the award!

Amélie Dubois

Fascinating psychological and pedagogical approach. Using ancient folklore as a bridge to connect with neurodivergent minds is something I’ve never seen before.

Carlos Mendoza

Katya is a real-life superhero!

Isabella Conti

Такой теплый и невероятно трогательный фильм! Я была поражена тем, как эти дети учатся выражать себя через фольклор и пение. Когда они пытались синхронизировать движения ног и головы под мелодию... это было так искренне. Катя, создательница мастерской, просто ангел. 25 минут пролетели так быстро, я едва сдерживала слезы радости.

Amina Alieva

Very inspiring short. It shows that art belongs to everyone, regardless of physical or mental limitations. You can see the immense patience required to stage even a tiny play when the actors struggle to remember a single line. But the joy in their eyes when they finally get it right is priceless. A life-affirming 25 minutes.

Amit Kumar