Unforgiven

The air disaster at Überlingen in 2002 remains a traumatic experience for the people connected to its victims. Armenian director Sarik Andreasyan tells the story of the fatal midair-crash of two planes from the perspective of Ossetian Vitaliy Kaloev who has not just to endure the loss of his family, but also the callow lack of empathy on the side of the people responsible. His longing for a simple gesture of remorse is ignored by capitalist society, which puts the film on a path towards a second human tragedy. Slowly, ominously and inescapably it leaves the original story behind and ventures deeply into the Russian soul. The film shows a very deep and accurate picture of a man who has taken everything away from him, but at the same times avoids a documentary-style narrative. (Internationales Filmfest Oldenburg)