The Letter

Russia, The Netherlands2012documentary20'

A dreamlike picture of a psychiatric hospital in the North-East of Russia. The facility is located among forests, in old wooden buildings. The mysterious atmosphere of this refuge is, once in a while, interrupted by the sound of an approaching storm and snippets of conversations, difficult to decipher. In this short study of one place, the director has mastered the art of de-dramatisation to perfection by observing the lives of the mentally ill from a distance. Impressionist photographs and economic editing magnify the sensation that time stopped here a long time ago.