“an intelligent film about a demographic who are so often approached by adult filmmakers in ways that miss all the nuance, fragility and genuine joy that this film brings to life” — AWFJ Women on Film

Navigating the emotional turmoil of waiting for life to begin while hanging around with classmates – a radical, authentic, and sensitive insight into the unsettling feeling of being young and an inside perspective on Ukrainian youth.”a sympathetic portrait of the tidal forces of teenagehood” — The Playlist

Following a successful run on the global film festival circuit, Altered Innocence is inviting audiences to relieve the beauty and trauma of being a teenager beginning January 21 with Stop-Zemlia. Kateryna Gornostai’s debut feature premiered at the Berlinale Generations, where it won the Crystal Bear for Best Film. The Youth Jury declared: “The film convincingly covers a variety of important topics which appeal to us as young people. Platonic love, queerness, solidarity and psychological stress reinforce the effect of the film as an authentic coming-of-age story. By virtue of creative visualisation techniques, it becomes clear in an artistic manner how our generation dreams, feels and experiences life. The message is conveyed that it is part of life to face certain fears in order to be able to enjoy the most exciting years of youth.”

Stop-Zemlia went on to screen at New York’s New Directors/New Films Festival and the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival.