Hey, Bro!

Mark is 18, and his buddy Kirill is 20. They’ve been friends for just a month but they’re obviously meant for each other. They both crave attention and have a provocative attitude to the world around them. They dance together on the railings of Moscow’s Krymsky Bridge, gatecrash parties, hang out on their skateboards, challenge authority figures and mouth off to everyone who crosses their path. “I’m young, I can do what I want,” Kirill tells us.

They might not seem the most approachable of protagonists, but these boys are incredibly attractive to the girls with whom they hook up—and whom they treat as carelessly as possible. It’s only when they’re not together that they display any vulnerability at all. The alcohol-fueled trip of Mark and Kirill’s summer nights climaxes with a trip to Crimea, where their friendship is put to the test and they need to look each other in the eye. Can they go on like this forever? In his directorial debut, Aleksander Elkan displays unique camerawork and a remarkable approach to his two subjects.