HNIFF 2023
The Boat
Directed by Sergey Sarkisov · Russian Federation · 13 min · short · narrative
Roman is stuck in a life that no longer feels like his own — a failing marriage, an abused employer, and a quiet sense that something essential has slipped away. Holding on to a fragile dream, he makes a choice that could finally change everything. But when reality intervenes, the cost of that decision becomes irreversible. Told through a restrained and atmospheric visual language, the film explores the weight of expectation, the illusion of control, and the quiet tragedies that shape ordinary lives. At its core, it is a story about the human need to be seen, heard, and given a place in a world that often looks the other way.
This film's screening window has ended.
From the director
“The Boat” is a film about the illusion of control.
I was interested in a character who believes that one decisive act can fundamentally change his life — that there is a single moment where everything can be fixed. But reality is often shaped not only by our choices, but by randomness and forces beyond our control.
The boat in the film serves as a central metaphor: a symbol of freedom and escape that gradually transforms into something unreachable and almost absurd.
Through a minimalistic narrative and restrained visual language, I wanted to focus on the internal collapse of the character — and the quiet, uncomfortable process of acceptance that follows.
