“Looks Like Love”

St. Petersburg lives and breathes with the characters in this film. Lisa finds herself in the city for the first time and immediately falls into its rhythm: bridges, embankments, noisy parties, chance encounters. When her things are stolen, this unexpectedly leads to a meeting with an artist and musician—and sets off a chain of events in which the story, rather than the circumstances, is more important. Anna Zavtur, Kuzma Kotrelev, and Sergey Goroshko play their characters with a sense of complete freedom—their dialogues and scenes seem to be born in the moment. Lisa’s route takes her through the city’s central streets and courtyards, from tourist hotspots to almost hidden locations. The film works like a living postcard: St. Petersburg is shown as a little chaotic and very attractive, and movement is created through people, their conversations and unexpected connections.

“There”

A road movie built on a simple, almost absurd starting point: a taxi ride from Moscow to Ufa. Vadim, played by Pyotr Fyodorov, is a driver stuck in a routine, and Irina Starshenbaum’s character bursts into his life with the idea of immediately hitting the road. Their route passes through Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan and then along the highway, where cities give way to fields and an endless road. As the journey progresses, the dynamic between the characters shifts: casual travel companions begin to hear each other. The film accurately conveys the physics of travel—the heat, open windows, long conversations, and the silence that emerges between people who have accidentally become close.

“Poehavshaya”

A story based on real events: Muscovite Anya sets off on a six-month bicycle journey across Russia. The heroine is played by Olga Lerman, and her journey feels almost documentary-like, as it was actually taken by traveler Anna Smolina. The route begins in Moscow, passes through Nizhny Novgorod, and continues on to the Urals and towards Magadan. Along the way, she is accompanied by a dachshund in a trailer and a blog where she records the events. The changing landscapes—from cities to empty highways and wild nature—become the backdrop for an internal movement. This is a film about a road in which a feeling of support and freedom gradually returns.

“Paris Can Wait”

Diane Lane’s heroine sets off on a trip that was supposed to take several hours, but turns into a slow journey through France. Together with Arnaud Viard’s character, she travels by car from the south of the country to Paris, passing through Provence with its vineyards, lavender fields, and small towns. Along the way, the characters stop at ancient churches, a Roman aqueduct, visit taverns, and spend the night in small hotels. This route is not about destinations, but about the ability to slow down and notice details. France is revealed here through taste, light, and conversation.

“The Peanut Butter Falcon”

A road trip through the southern United States that begins as an escape and turns into an adventure. Zack Gottsagen plays a young man who dreams of becoming a wrestler, and his companion is Shia LaBeouf, a man with a troubled past. They are later joined by Dakota Johnson. Their journey takes them through rivers, swamps, and small towns: they raft, camp by the fire, and encounter a wide variety of people. This is a modern take on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, where the road becomes a means of finding freedom.

“Romantics 303”

A European road movie where the journey unfolds almost entirely through the conversations of two young romantics. Jule, played by Mala Emde, travels from Germany to Portugal in an old camper van, while Anton Spieker’s character heads to Spain to look for his father. Their joint route passes through Germany, Belgium, France and further to the Atlantic. While the landscapes change outside the window, inside the car (a Mercedes 303) a different dynamic unfolds: the characters argue, become closer, and gradually change each other. The road here becomes a space where a chance encounter can change everything.