The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact in 1939 lead to the Soviet annexation of the Baltic region in 1940. This was followed by political repression and mass deportations, under the so-called Serov Instructions. Hundreds of thousands, entire families, were forcibly removed from Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, and sent to work in Siberian labour camps.
It’s a sad film about a period in history we should all know more about. Powley is compelling as the 16-year-old Lina, an innocent finding the strength to survive Soviet brutality.
