Draft:Winter in March

• Comment: In accordance with Wikipedia's Conflict of interest policy, I disclose that I have a conflict of interest regarding the subject of this article. KKibus (talk) 12:48, 31 October 2025 (UTC)

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Winter in March is a puppet stop-motion short film directed by Natalia Mirzoyan. It tells the story of a young Russian couple who can no longer come to terms with their homeland’s actions. Feeling powerless under a repressive regime, they decide to leave Russia. Their journey to Georgia turns into a surreal nightmare, haunted by the fear of being separated at the border.

The film offers a perspective on the impact of war — focusing not only on the victims of invasion, but also on those forced to flee their country for opposing the actions of their leaders. It explores the emotional and political journey of those caught in between, feeling powerless and silenced in the face of a repressive state, rendered stateless by a war they never supported. Based on real interviews conducted by Mirzoyan, the film features the stories of friends who emigrated from Russia to Armenia and Georgia due to the political situation. It examines the theme of Russian emigration, which gained new urgency following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The story is also partly based on Mirzoyan’s own experience, as she decided to leave Russia with her family and move to Estonia when the invasion began.

The main character of the film, Dasha, creates small flags as a way to preserve the memory of her home left behind— an attempt to hold on to memory in the midst of loss. Meanwhile, war-induced fear and anxiety create distance and tension in her relationship, eventually leading to separation.

The film incorporates fabric manipulation as a key visual and narrative element. One of the core materials—cotton batting—is symbolic: in Russian slang, the euphemism “vatnik” ( from “quilted jacket”) refers to supporters of the regime, while in American history, cotton evokes the legacy of slavery and systemic oppression.

Plot

The film tells the true story of a young Russian couple, Kirill and Dasha, who share a warm home in Saint Petersburg. It begins on the first day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and depicts the events from the perspective of Russian citizens who oppose the war and the dictatorship. The protagonists feel deep guilt and sorrow for a war they do not support, yet they respond in very different ways. While Dasha finds the strength to act and protest, Kirill withdraws into himself, overwhelmed by the unfolding events and sinking deeper into depression. Dasha tries to help her partner, but it becomes increasingly difficult for her. Kirill becomes consumed by the endless stream of news, staring at his phone as tanks and bombs seem to crawl out of it. He appears to shrink under the avalanche of horrific images. Dasha feels as if she is melting into a puddle. Realizing that they no longer have a place in Russia, Dasha and Kirill decide to move to Georgia. Dasha throws away a lavender bouquet that once symbolized home for her. Their journey to Georgia unfolds in a metaphysical rather than a realistic space, filled with grim details and metaphors of war. Dasha begins to sink into a nightmarish snowfield. The train passes close to the Russian-Ukrainian border, where a freight train carrying tanks rushes by - the tanks are covered in snow. The other passengers, however, seem oblivious to anything unusual. Kirill attempts to ease his anxiety and depression with alcohol. Dasha, though trying to stay strong, keeps sinking deeper into the snow. After being trapped for seven days in a hostel due to avalanches and later travelling with a Georgian driver named Juba, they finally reach the border. Their greatest fear is to be separated. As Russian citizens, they are not welcome in Georgia, a country that has also suffered from Russian aggression. Kirill appears small and powerless when harshly questioned by the border officials. After nearly being denied exit from Russia and entry into Georgia, they finally manage to cross the border with Juba's clever help. In Tbilisi, the sun is blazing, yet the palm trees along the promenade are covered with snow - as if the snow has followed the unwanted guests. Locals watch them with long, wary looks. Ironically, Kirill and Dasha's greatest fear - that of being separated - comes true once they have finally crossed the border.

Director

Natalia Mirzoyan is an animation director and artist based in Estonia, originally from Yerevan, Armenia. Mirzoyan's awarded films like My Childhood Mystery Tree(2009), Chinti (2012), Five Minutes to Sea(2018), and Merry Grandmas(2020), were selected for the following festivals, such as Berlinale, Annecy, Hiroshima, Animafest Zagreb. In 2022, Mirzoyan moved to Estonia to pursue a master’s degree at the Estonian Academy of Arts, specifically to explore puppet animation. Winter in March is her first full stop-motion puppet film and served as her graduation film

Music

The film’s composer, Evgeny Fedorov, was forced to flee Russia after publicly opposing the war and being threatened and prosecuted as a result. Their collaboration gives Winter in March a personal and politically urgent voice. Evgeny Fedorov is the frontman of the Russian alternative rock band Tequilajazzz.

Awards

Winter in March had its world premiere in May 2025 in the Festival de Cannes La Cinef section, where it won the 3rd prize (ex aequo). In August, it won the Animist Tallinn Grand Prix and the Heart of Sarajevo award for Best Short Film at the Sarajevo Film Festival, a qualifying festival for the Academy Awards. In September 2025, Winter in March won the Grand Prix at the Siam International Animation Festival in Thailand. Shortly afterward, it received the Audience Award in the International Competition at Switzerland's Fantoche – International Festival for Animated Film, and the Grand Prix in the Student Film category at the Taichung International Animation Festival in Taiwan. In the United States, Winter in March received an Honorable Mention for Best Short Film at the Philadelphia Film Festival. The film, a co-production between Estonia and Armenia, had its Armenian premiere at the ReAnimania International Animation Film & Comics Art Festival in Yerevan, where it won the Lev Atamanov Prize for Best Armenian Animated Short Film. At Iran’s Tehran International Animation Festival, it was awarded the Golden Leaf for Best Animated Film. The film was named a Uppsala Short Film Candidate for the European Film Awards' European Short Film – Prix Vimeo 2027.

Production

Winter in March was initially developed at the Estonian Academy of Arts. Early in the production, the Estonian animation film studio Rebel Frame joined as the lead producer, and the Armenian studio ArtStep joined later. The film is an Estonian–Armenian co-production, with Rebel Frame as the lead producer and the Estonian Academy of Arts, Black Boat Pictures (France), and White Boat Pictures (Belgium) as minority co-producers.