— Paris RDV from January. 14th to 16th — — Berlinale/EFM from February. 11th to 17th — — Paris RDV from January. 14th to 16th — — Berlinale/EFM from February. 11th to 17th — — Paris RDV from January. 14th to 16th — — Berlinale/EFM from February. 11th to 17th — — Paris RDV from January. 14th to 16th — — Berlinale/EFM from February. 11th to 17th —
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A Russian Winter

Directed by
Patric Chiha

Status World Premiere
Country France
Original Title Un Hiver Russe
Year 2026
Language Russian
Genre . Documentary
Duration 87min
Distributor n/a
Status World Premiere
Country France
Original Title Un Hiver Russe
Year 2026
Language Russian
Genre Documentary
Duration 87min
Distributor n/a
Request Screener Press kit
After the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a lot of Russian men and women faced a brutal choice: prison, the army— or exile. Margarita, Yuri and their friends, are part of a generation pushed into exile as they refuse to comply with the Russian regime. Caught in the crosscurrents of history, suspended between countries and searching for a place they can call home, with nowhere to return, and nowhere they feel truly welcome.

Director

Patric Chiha is an Austrian filmmaker of Hungarian and Lebanese descent. He studied fashion design at ESAA Duperré (Paris) and film editing in INSAS (Brussels). He lives and works in Paris. His films – both fiction and documentary – include “Domain” (2009), “Boys Like Us” (2014), “Brothers of the Night” (2016), “If It Were Love” (2020) and “The Beast In The Jungle” (2023). His work has been screened and awarded at numerous international film festivals, including Venice Film Festival and Berlinale.

Cast & crew

PRODUCER

  • Aurora Films (Return to Seoul, City of Wind, Angry Annie)

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

  • Céline Bozon (The Beast in the Jungle, Sidonie in Japan, Angry Annie)

Festivals and awards

  • Berlinale Panorama 2026
"It earns its place as one of the more quietly impactful festival documentaries of the year… What makes the film especially effective is its refusal to frame exile as heroic… This is a strong, thoughtful documentary that prioritizes emotional honesty over immediacy." 

OVERLY HONEST REVIEWS
"A sensitive portrait of what it means to be cast adrift by a society bent on pointless war and destruction… Patric Chiha’s thoughtful documentary looks at the lives of five Russians in Paris and Istanbul and captures this inner sense of turmoil through wide tableaus."

JOURNEY INTO CINEMA
"A crucial documentary that explores the silent impacts of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the country’s youth… Moving the needle of this discussion in a worthwhile direction through raw, vulnerable empathy…

LOUD AND CLEAR