Film archive, 2025

Becoming

Director Zhannat ALSHANOVA

1Festival entries

★Avg. rating

This time it would be different, or so their mother promised. Yet once again she abandons Mila and Lina at a hotel to visit her lover far away. Mila and Lina survive by giving up on hope early: Lina losing herself in video games, while Mila joining the swimming team whatever it takes. Mila resorts to methods reserved for grownups just to reach her goal. Unlike indoor swimming, where swimmers simply have to stay in lane and push for speed, outdoor swimming involves fighting the currents and weather while steering your own course. Learning the harshness of outdoor racing through her body, Mila gradually becomes a true athlete. Watching her pause at the turning point is a rare cinematic experience that makes the viewers cheer her on endlessly. This debut feature by the Kazakh filmmaker Zhannat Alshanova competed in the Concorso Cineasti del Presente section at the Locarno Film Festival.