Lyoshka, a 15-year-old Russian boy, works as a whale hunter in the easternmost outpost of Russia. Isolated from civilization, he falls in love with the only girl he has access to – a young woman in the US who makes a living as a “camgirl” via online streaming. However, he discovers that the gap between the real and the imaginary is greater than the distance between Chukotka and Detroit. The comedic plot is the basis for a visually stunning and atmospheric film poem about desire, heightened by the bleak tundra of the Arctic setting.

Philipp Yuryev

Born in Moscow, Philipp Yuryev is a graduate of the prestigious Russian film school VGIK. His graduation film, The Song of the Mechanical Fish (2013) won him early recognition and was shown in the short film competition at the Sundance Film Festival. His feature film debut, The Whaler Boy, was selected for the Venice Film Festival, among others, and won this year’s Romanian festival Transilvania.