Crystal Swan

"Despite its relatively unusual setting, Crystal Swan is a largely conventional fish-out-of-water story at heart. But it is elevated above the routine by its excellent cast, especially Nassibulina, and plenty of visual flair."

"The impetus isn’t entirely lost as long as Nassibulina’s wonderful creation is on screen – purposeful, lively, resourceful, a dreamer with her feet on the ground and a good heart."

"The premise seems ripe for a rich and deceptively breezy comedy about a clash between cultures, but Zhuk doesn’t milk this story for easy laughs. Or for any other kind of laughs, for that matter."

"Zhuk crafts an exquisite tale of doom and gloom colored by a farcical ethos, from Velya’s no-holds-barred audacity and kookiness (shades of Madonna in Desperately Seeking Susan) to the physical comedy-derived drunkenness as the lingua franca of family get-togethers."

"While some nuances may go over the heads of international audiences, its core social and economic frustrations are universal ones, driven by Velya’s fundamentally sympathetic wanderlust."