YURI FAR FAR AWAY

11 minutes is a bold runtime for a short. It allows the story to breathe. The contrast between everyday life (the woman with buckets) and the dream (the boy with binoculars) creates excellent conflict. The UFO here isn't just a plot twist, but a metaphor for the hope of escaping the mundane.

It is the perfect portrait of the Russian hinterland. Yuri with his binoculars is the only one looking up, not at his feet. Very touching and sad. We are all a bit like Yuri

Great art style and directing!

What an incredible art style! It looks like children's drawings made with crayons or pastels come to life. The paper texture is visible in every frame. I love how the light works. Especially in the scene where Yuri shines his flashlight into the sky. It looks so cozy and so lonely at the same time.

A cosmodrome next to a village is a powerful image. Future technology and old wooden houses. Yuri with his big eyes reminds me of Spielberg's heroes, but in harsh northern realities. A story that miracles can be found even in the forest behind the house.