Lillian (film)
Lillian is a 2019 Austrian drama film directed by Andreas Horvath. It was screened in the Directors' Fortnight section at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.[1][2]
| Lillian | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Film poster | |
| Directed by | Andreas Horvath |
| Written by | Andreas Horvath |
| Starring | Patrycja Planik |
| Music by | Andreas Horvath |
| Cinematography | Andreas Horvath |
| Edited by | Michael Palm Andreas Horvath |
Release date |
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Running time | 130 minutes |
| Country | Austria |
| Language | English |
Cast
- Patrycja Planik as Lillian
%2C_in_Panaji%2C_Goa_on_November_28%2C_2019.jpg)
Plot
A 20-year old Russian lady named Lillian on an already expired work visa to the USA who willingly had left the rudder of her life which was already going downhill. Lillian auditioned as a porn actress, but God intervened personified as the porn film producer in New York and "told" her to try hard to prove to herself that underneath she was a capable girl, worthy of the gift of life given to her, by going back to her own country, Russia, and make a fresh beginning. And thus, her Odyssey to return to her Ithaca, which was to prove to herself she was a worthy person and not garbage as she was letting herself to become, and thus forgive herself, started, by her walking all the way from New York to Alaska, to cross the Bering Straights to return to her motherland, like her compatriots 77 years ago who walked all the way from Moscow and Leningrad to Berlin.
On her first steps of her voyage God appeared to her in the face of young terrifying roaring motorcyclists, telling her He was watching her, like in the Book of Eli of the Old Testament. Along her voyage "home" she even stole lipstick from a shop, but finally she realized she had capitulated to her addictions and managed to free herself, by throwing the lipstick away. Immediately, a 20% moon shone in the sky in front of her.
A driver on the road chased her to rape her. She ran to a sea of maize, chased by her would-be rapist. But like in the Book of Exodus, God blew the wind, and with the ensuing noise, her rapist lost her and she was saved. A sheriff nearing retirement met her on her way on her way and helped her, by giving her a lift and his own overcoat with the USA Sheriff badge on it to warm herself. That night he was telling a friend of his at the bar that Nebraska women were large and cumbersome like buses, and that he had met a tourist slim and with a fighter's attitude like himself when he was younger. Further up her voyage, Lillian found an old Christmas card and she remembered her roots, her parents in her own country. Immediately, a 50% moon shone up in the sky in front of her. She found in the garbage a dirty old doll, which she took along with her. In the truly wonderful scenery that only a professional photographer could identify, the rain had taken that horrible red dye off her hair which became brunette. She cut her long hair off with a knife and glued it to the doll's head with duct tape. She was looking at the doll's head, her only companion. This doll was her old self, the old Lillian- Ilona. A 100% moon shone up in the sky. God was pleased with Lillian's efforts. She was becoming strong, independent and free of her addictions. He showed her the Cosmos He had created, and which she now deserved to enjoy. She lied down down on the frozen Alaskan soil, looking at the snow falling, and for a moment we believe she died, but a second later she opened up her eyes again.
The next scene is a hunt of whales in Russia. An Eastern Russian babushka narrates a story to her grandchild, about a young girl who was swallowed by a whale, but the whale couldn't digest her and spitted her out, like in the Book of Jonas. Only the girl was transformed to a man. Lillian by that time had short dark hair. One boy whale hunter is strolling along the beach and notices a doll's head lying on the pebbles. It is insinuated that the old Lillian (the doll's head) had died and Lillian had managed finally to arrive in Russia new, strong and independent, like a man, so then having accomplished so much, she could finally forgive herself for what she had done in her past, put her bad memories back and move on a fresh clean slate.
References
- Keslassy, Elsa (4 April 2019). "Cannes: Deerskin With Jean Dujardin to Open Directors' Fortnight". Variety. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
- Goodfellow, Melanie. "Cannes Directors' Fortnight unveils genre-heavy 2019 selection". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 23 April 2019.