Andrey Zvyagintsev (*Leviathan*) proffers an ambitious exploration of the human condition in his second feature. Much like his critically acclaimed debut *The Return*, the film investigates bonds of family, this time tackling the relationship between a husband and wife. A trip to the pastoral countryside reveals a dark, sinister reality for a family from the city. Eschewing easy answers and tackling a wide array of themes, THE BANISHMENT poetically...

Kolya lives in a small fishing town near the stunning Barents Sea in Northern Russia. He owns an auto-repair shop that stands right next to the house where he lives with his young wife Lilya and his son Roma. The town's corrupt mayor is determined to take away his business, his house, and his land.