The Border - a Russian anti-war self-confession

What I liked

• well directed and pretty much seamless from a technical perspective
• use of sound cues and videos was effective
• interesting Q&A afterward

What I didn't like

• It seemed like more than one audience member had their phones out, which was a bit distracting. Maybe it would be good to make a statement about that ahead of time.

My overall impression

“The Border” follows a Russian artist back to his village on the Russian-Ukrainian border to visit his mother. Conflicts seem to multiply as the family tries to digest the Russian invasion of Ukraine against the background of generational conflict, especially their different but deeply felt situatedness in Russian history. Misha Suvorov makes a powerful impression as a son whose mother seems increasingly foreign and unreachable to him.

In the Q&A afterward, Suvorov made a good point about whether the play would be interesting or acceptable for a Ukrainian audience. I understand the reasoning behind promoting Ukrainian narratives during the Russian invasion of their country, but I think many people are very interested in figuring out what is going on in regular Russians’ minds right now. This play was quite effective in bringing me into the mindset of those who leave Russia, and those who stay.