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Directed by Youcef Mahmoudi
Starring Alain Allard, Aleksandr Belinskij, Nina Lisauskas, Giedre Milinyte
Short Film Review by Rachel Pullen
Have you ever sat down to watch a film and thought to yourself, this needs to have more different languages in it, more people bleeding from the eyes, more angry Russians and ginger haired women who can kill people with the power of thought? Well if you have, Kosmodrome offers all that and much more.
The film opens the day after the Americans first stepped out onto that dusty bleak surface of the moon in July 1969, and whilst the most of the world celebrated and watched in awe and disbelief, some people in Russia were a lot less pleased.
Deep inside a KGB bunker there is a young woman who goes by the code name ‘’little eagle’’ played by Giedre Milinyte who possesses the power to manipulate people’s minds and kill them, she’s like a little Russian Darth Vadar but instead of chocking them to death they bleed from their eyes...it’s very satisfying to watch if you like that kind of thing.
Little eagle is brain washed into believing she is an assassin and must kill the flight director of NASA, a French lieutenant who is also capable of the same Darth Vader style mind powers, he also serves as our guide through this piece, narrating the story as we go in exploration of space and mind.
And that’s what Kosmodrome is, an exploration of the mind, and despite the main idea drawing from director Youcef Mahmoudi’s love of space and astronomy, Kosmodrome explores the power which the mind has and the power we can have over others if we just explore its depths.
Mahmoudi looks at the mentality and manipulation of the human condition, what it’s like to be trapped within your own insanity while the insanity of others creeps in to your personal space, this is more than just another sci fi flick, Kosmodrome is an adventure externally and internally.
As I said before this film uses three languages at different points, Russian, French and English, giving the experience a unique twist, it gives more depth to the historical context of the piece, reminding us of how many countries were involved in the race to the moon, involved in beating communism or destroying capitalism.
The narration keeps the audience engaged and on board with the complex story line and multiple languages, and couple that with solid performances from the cast Kosmodrome is a witty and thought provoking piece which stands up to its reputation and many awards.
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