Lilya 4-Ever

• 2003
• Sweden / Denmark
• 1h 49min
• 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.

• 78%
• 82%
• 87%
• Buy from Amazon.co.uk