Lilya 4-Ever

2003
Sweden/Denmark
109 min
18

Directed by: Lukas Moodysson
Written by: Lukas Moodysson
Cast: Oksana Akinshina, Artyom Bogucharsky, Lyubov Agapova, Liliya Shinkaryova
Language: Russian, Swedish, English

Living on a dilapidated housing estate in an unspecified city of the former Soviet Union, 15-year-old Lilya (Akinshina) is first abandoned by her mother, then moved by her aunt from her comparatively cosy flat to a filthy hole and finally forced to turn to prostitution. Hope is given by Lilya's burgeoning friendship with another rejected child, but this is all too short-lived as Moodysson digs deeper into the abyss, revealing his true purpose: a graphic exposé of European sex trafficking. With Moodysson's unflinching direction and Akinshina's remarkable performance in the leading role, it packs a punch that leaves you reeling.