Reviews

This is a real epic about the developing of rockets and spaceships in the Soviet Union. The character called Andrei Bashkirtsiev is actually Sergei Koroliov, the "father of soviet spaceships". I don't know why they didn't use his real name, maybe some sort of "state secret"?. In this film there is also a scene where another famous scientific appears: Kurchatov the maker of the first soviet atomic bomb. Also the actor that does the role of Yuri Gagarin resembles quite much the real one. Photography here is excellent and also the music. It's a very well done score. I saw this film a couple of times more than 30 years ago and I still remember the scene when they take the big rocket out of the hangar en route to the launching pad. By the way, the dialog between Gagarin and Bashkirtsiev/Koroliov was the real one (as Gagarin told later): Koroliov: What would you think of a flight into space? just a small trip to and fro. Gagarin: It's OK if there's enough fuel. I still remember that phrase when he is shown the first prototypes of jet fighters: "Piervava liubov" ("First love") because he started thinking about building jets but then dedicated himself to rockets. The famous "Katiushas". Among the many historical characters depicted here there is a very important one: Konstatin Tsiolkovsky. He was interpreted by the famous classical Russian actor Innokenti Smoktunovsky.

Here in Argentina this film goes by the title "La trama de la vida" (The weft of life), the french title could be translated in English as "The (women) embroiderers" (nouns in French have gender) Lovely film. Nice music composed by Michael Galasso (sounds like Arvo Pärt). Claire debates herself between giving her child in adoption or keeping it. The film builds up, step by step. Claire works in a supermarket but that's not what she wants to do in life, she wants to be an embroiderer. Being pregnant, being a teenager, living in a provincial town she must "take up arms against a sea of troubles". A brave and loving girl with determination. In this quest she also finds love.