That's what gives the film its unity. Repentance is a duty for all those who have lived in this era and who are still alive today. Without Repentance there will be no peace or rest in Russia. Personally, I think that all the governments since 1917 have been illegitimate, because they have achieved power by means of blood and violence. I shot this film very quickly because I wanted my six year-old daughter to play the role of Nadia, a little girl who is exactly her age.
Children grow quickly and lose the tenderness, the simplicity, and the charm their youth carries.
I never play big parts in my films. It's too risky to write the script, to direct, and to play a leading role.