Ayka
| My Little One | |
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 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Sergey Dvortsevoy |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Jolanta Dylewska |
Release date |
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Running time | 100 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Languages |
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Ayka (Template:Lang-ru) is a 2018 drama film directed by Sergey Dvortsevoy. It was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.[1][2] At Cannes, Samal Yeslyamova won the award for Best Actress.[3] It was selected as the Kazakhstani entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards,[4][5][6] making the December shortlist.[7] The film was produced under the working title My Little One.
Plot
A young Kyrgyz woman named Ayka lives and illegally works in Moscow. After giving birth to a baby she escapes from the hospital abandoning a newborn child. She suffers from malaise and post-pregnancy complications. Ayka borrowed money she couldn't afford from dangerous men to open a clothing factory and now struggles to earn enough to pay her debts. She's desperate for any job but expired work permit, proves nearly impossible to get an employment. At an underground processing facility she plucking a chicken but workers are not paid. At cafeteria where Ayka worked before labor, she's been replaced by another girl. She lost job of a waitress being late for an interview due to bleeding and general weakness. Finally, she finds a part-time job as a cleaner in a veterinary clinic. Also film demonstrates terrible living conditions in illegal hostel where migrants sleep in constant fear of deportation.
Creditors find Ayka and demand their money back, threatening to cut off her sister’s fingers in Kyrgyzstan. During one of the meetings, she confesses about recent birth of a son, specifying that she's became pregnant as a result of rape. They offer to take her child in order to settle her debts.
Cast
- Samal Yeslyamova as Ayka
- Polina Severnaya as administrator at the hospital
- Andrey Kolyadov as Victor, the chief
Reception
Critical response
Ayka has an approval rating of 80% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 10 reviews, and an average rating of 6.70/10.
Awards and nominations
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cannes Film Festival | 8–19 May 2018 | Palme d'Or | Sergey Dvortsevoy | Nominated | [8] |
| Best Actress | Samal Yeslyamova | Won | [9] | ||
| Asian Film Awards | 17 March 2019 | Best Actress | Samal Yeslyamova | Won | [10] |
| Russian Guild of Film Critics | 22 January 2020 | Best Film | Sergey Dvortsevoy | Nominated | [11] |
| Best Director | Sergey Dvortsevoy | Nominated | |||
| Best Actress | Samal Yeslyamova | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematographer | Jolanta Dylewska | Nominated | |||
| Nika Award | TBA | Best Film | Sergey Dvortsevoy | Pending | [12] |
| Best Director | Sergey Dvortsevoy | Pending | |||
| Best Actress | Samal Yeslyamova | Pending | |||
| Best Screenplay |
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Pending | |||
| Best Film Editing | Petar Markovic | Pending |
See also
- List of submissions to the 91st Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
- List of Kazakhstani submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
References
- ^ "The 2018 Official Selection". Cannes. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
- ^ "Cannes Adds Lars von Trier's 'The House That Jack Built,' Sets Terry Gilliam's 'Don Quixote' as Closer". Variety. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
- ^ Debruge, Peter (19 May 2018). "2018 Cannes Film Festival Award Winners Announced". Variety. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
- ^ "87 Countries In Competition for 2018 Foreign Language Film Oscar". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
- ^ Kilday, Gregg (8 October 2018). "Oscars: 87 Countries Submit Films in Foreign-Language Category". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
- ^ "Film Ayka about migrant woman from Kyrgyzstan enters Oscar long-list". Kabar News Agency. 9 October 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
- ^ "Academy Unveils 2019 Oscar Shortlists". The Hollywood Reporter. 17 December 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
- ^ "71st Cannes Film Festival – COMPETITION". Festival De Cannes. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
- ^ "71st Cannes Film Festival – Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress". Festival De Cannes. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
- ^ Chow, Vivienne (17 March 2019). "'Shoplifters' Wins Best Picture at Asian Film Awards". Variety. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
- ^ "2019" (in Russian). Russian Guild of Film Critics. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
- ^ "Номинанты "НИКА-33"" (in Russian). Russian Academy of Cinema Arts and Science. Retrieved 26 May 2020.