A lyrical, insightful psychological portrait of female dancers across generations and the sacrifices ballet demands.

Gorgeously shot in black and white, with brief glimpses of nature in colour, the film follows three women navigating family troubles and relationships with their mothers. Though strangers, their stories intertwine through ballet and sensitive editing.

High-achieving teenager Pärli feels like a mountain range: cold below the knees and hot in her hands. She compares parts of her body to different seasons and playfully envies a dancing grasshopper’s movements. If not a ballerina, she imagines being a violinist or lion tamer. Aspiring Black Swan Maarja took up ballet at her parents’ urging, though she preferred hip-hop. Ballet lecturer and horse rider Irina teaches students to appreciate the technically perfect ballet body, yet struggles to find joy and tends to censor everything, even as she resists strict control.

All three strive for perfection in life and on the dance floor. Ballet offers escape into a magical world but demands patience. Dancers repeat exercises and rehearse for hours, seeking precision despite pain, fatigue or waning motivation. Each movement takes time to master, perhaps only to satisfy a mother’s high expectations.

Edvinas Pukšta