LILYA 4 EVER
Sweden, 2002, 109 minutes, Colour.
Oksana Akinshina, Artiom Bogus Charskia
Directed by Lukas Moodysson.
Lilya Forever is a powerful Swedish film, winner of many European awards. It was written and directed by Luke Moodysson, celebrated director of such films as Show Me Love, Together, A Hole in My Heart.
The film is a perspective on eastern Europe at the turn of the 21st century, especially focusing on young people and their rackets in child prostitution. Lilya is a Russian, living with her boyfriend, who meets an attractive man from Scandinavia and goes with him only to find herself trapped. The film is well acted, focuses on the themes of desperation in eastern Europe and the exploitation by the West.
The film is a drama rather than a documentary – though it speaks to important issues. A similar film, coming from Poland in 2005, was Justine is Your Name, a story of a young woman tricked in Poland and going into Germany.
1. The impact of the film? The Russian situation in the '90s? Sweden? The contrast? The collapse of the Soviet empire and the unemployment, Americanisation, drug-taking? Migration? The contrast with affluent Sweden?
2. The Russian settings, the town, the apartment blocks, the streets? The clubs? The contrast with Sweden and the apartments, the rooms where the men took Lilya? The visualising of the cultural and affluent differences? The musical score?
3. The realism of the film, at times documentary-like? The transition to magic realism with the death of Volodya, his becoming an angel, the wings, his appearances to Lilya? Guiding her like the guardian angel in the picture to which she prayed? Lilya herself becoming an angel and playing with Volodya at the end?
4. The social situation in Russia of the '90s, Lilya's mother and her having worked in the kitchen in the factory, the man from Moscow sleeping with her, her becoming pregnant, his disappearance? Bringing up the daughter on her own? The dating information and her getting the Russian boyfriend from the United States? Her going, the promise to Lilya? Lilya and her boasting to her friends and at school about going to America? The meal, her mother telling her that she wasn't going? The mother leaving, the farewell, Lilya reading the magazine, embracing her mother briefly, indifference, following the car, the embrace? Her mother and the relationship with the Russian, his demands, the scene in the bedroom and Lilya hearing it? Her going away, never writing to her daughter?
5. Lilya and her age, by herself, going back to school, the teachers' taunts? Her Aunt Anna taking her from the flat, the small apartment, its filthiness, the landlady? Her not having any options? Aunt Anna's brutality towards Lilya? The landlady ringing her up when the young people were noisy? The sniffing of glue, sex, the raucousness in the room?
6. Volodya, his age, playing with the ball all the time, out of the house, his father finally puncturing the ball and turning him out? His having nowhere to go? Following the other teenagers who were older, offering them glue? His friendship with Lilya, their being together, talking to one another, her inviting him in? Their explaining their lives to each other? The bond of friendship? The possibility for Lilya to go to Sweden, wanting to get a place for Volodya, her avoiding it, finally not able to do it?
7. Surviving, her girlfriend, the prostitution at the club? Giving the money to Lilya in front of her father? Lilya and the episode with the man, going to the supermarket where she had been angry before? With Volodya and their discussions?
8. The encounter with Andrei, falling in love, his charm, the dancing, sexual relationship? His promises about Sweden, her joy? The passport with the false name? Not taking Volodya? The day of going, his story about going to his grandmother? Her going on the plane, the delight with the meal on the plane, the passport? Meeting the man at the airport?
9. Being locked in the apartment, cleaning it up? Her being taken out, the prostitution, the collage of men and the encounters? Her self-esteem, her sadness, being locked away, hiding under the bed? Volodya's appearances to her? Her trying to run away, her being bashed? The man not locking the door, Volodya guiding her out? Running away from the police, running to the bridge? Volodya and the explanations about angels, about Heaven? Urging her to live? Her jumping? The two of them together in Heaven as angels, playing on the roof of the building?
10. The story of young girls in different countries, being trapped into prostitution, the brutality, the dehumanising, the despair? The film's structure with the loud music and the opening with Lilya running, the title with her carving it into the wood, the finale with her killing herself?
11. The emotional impact of the film? Social problems? The religious dimension, the place of God and Providence? The praying of the Our Father, the picture of the guardian angel and Volodya being the angel?
