My twin soul
DRAMA

Director: Viktor Kislov
i@vkislov.ru

Screenwriter: Larisa Kremneva
larisa.kremneva.96@gmail.com
"My Twin Soul" is the story of twin sisters from a Molokan community and their intertwined destinies.

The main character, Stesha, is forced to return to her native community for her sister's funeral. In that moment, time stops for her. One soul splits in two, leaving only half behind.

Stesha experiences the loss of her own identity, realizing that part of her has gone with her sister.

"Who am I?"—a question that grows more intense in this narrative, as the heroine’s "Shadow," her second self, is embodied in the image of her twin sister, with whom she severed ties long before her sister’s death.
Logline

Stesha, a chocolatier, loses her twin sister. She returns to her hometown, immersing herself in her past life and trying to cope with her own grief and that of her loved ones. She has to deal with her relatives’ resentments, her own guilt, and pain.

Synopsis

The main character is Stesha, a chocolatier. Her twin sister, Lera, passes away, which forces Stesha to return to her hometown. No one in the family, neither her mother nor her brother-in-law, welcomes Stesha warmly. It turns out that, after leaving, she rarely communicated with her family.

After the funeral, Lera starts appearing to Stesha as images, visions, and dreams. She becomes an uncomfortable companion to her sister, acting as her conscience. Lera reminds her sister of the past, of her estrangement from the family in recent years, and of the broken bonds.

The mutual resentments between Stesha and her mother hinder them from truly being there for each other during this difficult period. Each of them experiences it alone in their own way. Lera and Mitya's daughter, Nastya, is the only one who wholeheartedly accepts Stesha. However, Nastya believes that Stesha is her real mother and does not notice any substitution. Over time, Stesha starts to replace Nastya's mother and even tries to fill the void left by Lera in Mitya's life. This is her own way of coping with grief. She has always envied the fact that Lera had a family, and now she can try to experience what it is.
Characters
Stesha
Main Character. Full name - Stefania
A strict, masculine woman, Stesha is the head confectioner in a chocolate factory. She is a woman who has lost the one person without whom she cannot imagine her existence. Stesha is grappling with this personal tragedy, trying to replace her sister Lera, to become her reflection. But no one can replace her sister in her own life. Accepting Lera's death for Stesha means moving forward, but she is afraid to do so because she can't imagine how.
Lera
Stesha's twin sister
A gentle and family-oriented woman, the opposite of her sister. She appears as a tangible image, hiding her secrets from Stesha.
Mother(55)
Mother of Stesha and Lera
A reserved, lonely woman. Sensitive and full of contradictions. After losing Lera, she falls into a depression, which frustrates Stesha.
Mitya (30)
Lera's husband
A sullen village man, Lera's husband. He mourns his deceased wife and struggles with his feelings for Stesha, which he hides. He does not communicate with his mother-in-law.
Cultural context
MOLOKANS
The Russian religious community in Armenia. The Molokans migrated to Armenia from Russia at the end of the 18th century, with some being forcibly relocated. To this day, they live as a closed community, referring to others as "worldly."

The lifestyle of a Russian village contrasts sharply against the backdrop of Armenia's nature.

Stesha is a girl from the Molokan community who spent several years living outside of it. When she returns, she is no longer fully accepted by the community that once was her home.

The idea of forming a new identity, separate from the place where you grew up, and the necessity of integrating multiple cultural layers within oneself, is central to this narrative. It resonates not only with the world of the heroine but also with the world of the viewer.
Director's vision
The film will be shot in the style of magical realism, where mystical elements are perceived as disturbingly real. The main focus will be on the details of rural life, both seen and heard, to create a sense of full immersion.

In each scene, there will be a sense that Stesha is not alone. This will be achieved through the use of mirrors, reflections, shadows, and compositional techniques. Special attention will be given to close-ups of Stesha and dual close-ups of Stesha and Lera. These shots will serve as a portal into Stesha's complex psychological world, contrasting with the simple rural routine.

Music will be nearly absent. The soundtrack will be minimalistic, with the use of string instruments to reflect key turning points and pauses after events.

The sound will enhance the realistic approach. Each scene will be meticulously crafted with sound details that emphasize the mood and immerse the audience in the narrative. For example, the creaking of a sofa, floorboards, the scraping of an old cabinet door, and the loud rustling of plastic bags when Stesha, without her mother's permission, throws away Lera's belongings, will create a tense atmosphere where Stesha feels like a stranger in her own home.
Why is it important?
The loss of oneself in the attempt to fill the void left by a deceased sister
The loss of self and the dissolution of personal boundaries are the central themes of the film. These themes manifest both on the level of internal conflict and externally: Stesha severed ties with her community and moved to the city, leaving the question of her identity unresolved.

This is not only a personal drama but also a tragedy for unique ethno-cultural communities in the face of globalization.

In the finale, Stesha says goodbye to her sister and returns to the city—to live her own life, not someone else’s. In doing so, she accepts the passage of time and the inevitability of change, completing the formation of a new identity, one that is her own and separate from her sister.
Crew
  • Victor Kislov
    Director

    A graduate of VGIK, the author of several short films, and a participant in film festivals. Member of the student jury at the "Bastau" International Film Festival.
    Personal website
  • Larisa Kremneva
    Screenwriter

    A graduate of VGIK, the workshop of Yuri Arabov.
  • Xenia Kazazaeva
    DoP

    A graduate of the Cinematography Department of VGIK, class of 2019 (Workshop of V.V. Alisov).
    Director of Photography for 13 short fiction films, 11 short documentaries, and 2 feature-length documentary films.
    Personal website
  • Alexandra Martirosova
    Production Designer
    A graduate of the Surikov Moscow State Academy of Fine Arts, specializing in monumental painting, under the workshop of E.N. Maksimov and I.V. Lubennikov.
    Production designer for the short films "Dead Souls," "New Year," "Tomorrow Everything Will Be Fine," "Three Merry Clowns," "An Old Song," and "The Long Life of a Snitch."