In today's Kazakhstan, 17-year-old Mila can no longer bear the chaos of her family life. When she discovers an open-water swimming team led by the enigmatic Vlad, she joins, drawn by the promise of structure and belonging. But when her place is threatened, her fear of losing it starts to grow, and Mila must soon decide how far she's willing to go to preserve the fragile balance she's built.
Zhannat Alshanova is a writer, director, and producer based between Almaty (Kazakhstan) and London (UK). drawn to stories of people in fluxcaught between cultures, identities, and shifting narratives. Her short films have screened at top-tier festivals including Cannes Cinéfondation (End of Season, 2018), Sundance (Paola Makes a Wish, 2019), and TIFF (History of Civilization, 2020), which won Locarnos Pardi di Domani award. Zhannat is an alumna of Berlinale Talents, TIFF Filmmakers Lab, and Locarnos Directing Workshop (mentored by Béla Tarr). She holds an MA from London Film School and is a member of BAFTA Connect and Directors UK. She also runs Accidental Films, an independent company focused on emotionally driven, visually bold cinema. Before premiering at Locarno 2025 (Cineasti del Presente), her debut feature Becoming was selected in mutliple workshops and markets such as When East Meets West, Cinemart, TIFF Filmmaker Lab, Red Sea Film Souk, Gotham Week, or First Cut Lab.
Luminalia Films
