Ostrov (,
The Island) is a
2006 Russian biographical film about a fictional 20th century
Eastern Orthodox monk. The film closed the 2006
Venice Film Festival, proved to be a moderate box-office success and won both the
Nika Award and the
Golden Eagle Award as the Best Russian film of 2006. The
filming location was the city of
Kem, in
Karelia, on the shores of the
White Sea.
Plot summary
During
World War II, the sailor Anatoly and his captain, Tikhon, are captured by the
Nazis when they board their barge and tugboat which is carrying a shipment of coal. The Nazi officer leading the raid offers Anatoly the choice to shoot Tikhon and stay alive which Anatoly reluctantly takes, and Tikhon falls overboard. The Nazis blow up the ship but Anatoly is found by monks on the shore the next morning. He survives and becomes a stoker at the monastery but is perpetually overcome with guilt.
