Commendation of the Ecumenical Jury, Locarno 2008

"Yuriev Den" tells the story of an opera singer on her journey back to her Russian roots with her son who disappears while they stay in the town of Yuriev.  This event completely changes her life. In her desperate search for her son she becomes a 'mother' to the poor, the sick, and others who are lost.
The film is filled with references to Christian iconography, Russian literature and its film tradition. Its high artistic quality and its symbolic and numerous metaphorical images make this film open and challenging.