Deaf Lovers

CATEGORY : Erotic Drama
COUNTRIES: Estonia, Serbia
PRODUCTION :

• Move On Prod.
• Max-Grip

BUDGET : $100 000

CAST

Anastasia Shemyakina, Daniil Gazizullin

CREW

Director :

• Boris Guts

Screenplay : Boris Guts
Cinematographer : Daria Likhacheva
Producers : Boris Guts, Maxim Mussel, Anastasiya Gusentsova, Daria Likhacheva, Maksim Podolski

COMMENTS

FESTIVALS: Pune IFF 2025, IFFI-Goa 2024, PÖFF/Competition 2024 (World Premiere)

SYNOPSIS

No peace. No love. ONLY PAIN.

2022 year. There is a war going on.

Ukrainian Sonya and Russian guy Danya meet in Istanbul. They have common problems: they need to find money for food, an apartment and a job. They have the same desire to have fun, dance, drink and sex. But the main questions are how to deal with the past, arrange life and build their joint future…

PRESS

PÖFF TV | MEET THE FILMMAKERS – Boris Guts (“Deaf Lovers”) Interview

“My real homeland is a country where I can work, where I can make movies,” …“Censorship is the biggest damage to art in our world,” says Guts. “When we stop movies, paintings, music – it’s a death for all.” – Ben Dalton, Screendaily

“My characters are in limbo, walking from heaven to hell” – The Russian-born filmmaker discusses his a tale of a Ukrainian woman and a Russian man, both deaf, who meet in Istanbul while there’s a war going on back home – Ana Stanic, Cineuropa

“I wanted to create a film that shows how war destroys our humanity and, most importantly, it kills love,”  Guts tells Jamie Lang, Variety. – “We stop hearing and understanding each other. The war in Ukraine is a terrible tragedy, and cinema must tell about it loudly every day…“

I due protagonisti, magnetici, originali, indimenticabili, sono di fatto gli unici volti e corpi (quanto mai interconnessi in una prepotente sicità) di un racconto straziante e distorto, che riesce incredibilmente a mantenersi in equilibrio tra un lirico romanticismo e delle drammatiche tinte claustrofobiche. – Veronica Orciari, NOCTURNO

…and you’ve got the sort of heavy-handed, sleepy dreck that no longer seems to move hearts or minds. The one bold aesthetic choice Guts makes throughout the film is to completely forgo sound effects like footsteps, door slams, hand movements, which forces us to experience the world as if we were one of the deaf lovers. […] Guts talked about his conceptualization of Istanbul as a sort of limbo, a nowhere place where these two lovers can sleepily duke it out with all of their national baggage. It’s a decent metaphor and it at least shows that Guts is putting some intellectual work into his project. – Joshua Bogatin, In Review Online

Kui loo algus võib tunduda pisut nagu slaavi variant Richard Linklateri Before filmidest, siis üsna varsti tuleb vaatajal end kalibreerida rohkem sümboolseks mõistujutuks…Õnneks ei piirdu filmi tugevus ainult idee tasandiga, vaid kogu selle teostus loob mõjuva platvormi sõjateemade ja inimsuhete üle arutlemiseks. – Mart Noorkõiv, Tartu Postimees

The film’s cinematic qualities, which can be debated, will, for some time, be overshadowed by the controversy. For those willing to look with open eyes and ears, it’s crystal clear that the film is neither Russian propaganda nor “whitewashing” of the horrible war that Russia has been subjecting Ukraine to for many years. – Christer, The Disapproving Swede

Филм користи паметне методе да рат ипак прокоментарише кроз реакције две младе особе на вести које сазнају из медија и разговора с члановима фамилије. Већ од сцене отварања ствара се осећај да оно што се дешава пред очима публике представља димну завесу иза које се крије нешто много дубље. Овај утисак је врло свесно генерисан кроз знаковни језик и оригиналну музику за филм која заслужује епитет оригинална по свом дивљем миксу разноврсних праваца који хармонирају са ситуацијама где су коришћени.- Marina D.Richter Politika

„Kurdid armastajad“ on arthouse film, kus kuhjatakse sümboleid ja metafoore niisugusel hulgal, et vaataja peas võib tekkida lühiühendus.- Andrei Hvostov, Eesti Ekspress

Deaf Lovers directed by Boris Guts from Estonia and Serbia is a contemporary tale set in Istanbul. It follows Sonya from Ukrainian, and Danya from Russia as they navigate the challenges of survival in a foreign city, exploring themes of identity, resilience, amid turbulent pasts.- Times Now Digital (From IFFI-Goa)

El film destaca por su propuesta única y su capacidad de comunicar emociones profundas a través del silencio… En el film se vé que lo que podría haberse convertido en una historia simple de amor, se transforma en un relato cargado de simbolismo, intriga y resentimientos políticos, gracias a un guion que mezcla hábilmente la cotidianidad de los protagonistas con los ecos de la guerra entre Rusia y Ucrania… El resultado es una obra compacta, intensa y profundamente impactante, que aborda temas universales como el amor, la guerra, la desconfianza, lo opresión del más devil, sin sacrificar la humanidad de sus personajes. Es, sin duda, una de las películas más significativas y originales sobre el impacto del conflicto en las relaciones personales en años recientes. – David Sánchez, te gusta mucho el cine

Tegelaste psühholoogia ja olukorra rahvuspoliitiline sümboolika kisuvad dramaturgilist tervikut lõhki, tulemuseks hooti paljulubav ja huvitav, ent frustreerivalt ebaühtlane film.- Andrei Liimets, Eesti Päevaleht

This picture is one big metaphor on the topic of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. The political context here is skilfully hidden by the artist’s imagination. Everything that happens is rather a reflection of the society of the two warring sides. – Daniel Lambing, Letterboxd

Two lost souls try to connect through their bodies as their destinies drift between an impossible present and a doomed future …[ ] Sign language becomes a veil for the national identities that divide them. Will they unite or be driven apart, these two souls on either side of the barricade? – Mariana Hristova, Cineuropa

Intervjuu eel toimunud pressikonverentsil mõistis Guts Venemaa agressiooni hukka, märkis, et kogu film on usumetafoor patuste karistamisest… Boris Guts: „Kurdid armastajad“ ei ole propaganda ega realistlik film, vaid allegooria inimsuhetele meie õnnetus maailmas.” –  LP kultuur, Eesti Päevaleht

This Serbian-Estonian productions boasts some very strong allegorical developments, a fiery anti-war message, and two talented leads. – Victor Fraga, Dirty Movies 

The best film about war and love in recent years…The very idea of the screenplay as a starting point for the film’s message is excellent, challenging the cliché seen in many films that love conquers all. – Mihkel Möölman, PÖFF