2020 / 62m - Ukraine
Drama
2.0*/5.0*
Why Moths Fly to the Light? poster

Watches

May 17, 2021

2.0*/5.0*

Dzhafarov's first feature film is another short one, clocking in at around 60 minutes. It's not a bad first attempt after directing a handful of shorts, but it's clear that Dzhafarov has some ways to go before he reaches full maturity as a director, as some parts of this film simply didn't work that well.

Beatrice lives in Paris. She's about to go fully blind, before that happens she wants to take in as much of the city as possible. When she goes out one night, she bumps into a battered guy who lies on the street. She decides to help the boy, as he slowly comes to a sweet friendship blossoms between the two.

It's clear Dzhafarov envisioned a rather unrestrained and boundless film. Not so much a fixed narrative, but a poetic stage where two characters find each other. This contemporary take on the Nouvelle Vague turns out a bit forced and sterile though, with mediocre performances and some scrawny dialogs taking away from the atmosphere. There's definitely something here, but it needs to be nurtured some more before it becomes truly riveting cinema.