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Close Relations

Name: Close Relations
Director: Vitaly Mansky
Released: 2016
Duration: 112 min

Representation Score

5.5/10

Fair

2016

Director

Vitaly Mansky

Runtime

112 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Vitaly Mansky’s documentary excels as a sophisticated examination of how political upheaval disrupts family life. It effectively questions the idea of a unified national identity by emphasizing the subjective, often conflicting realities of individuals caught in the middle of conflict. The film's strength lies in its ability to critique state-driven patriotism and traditional social stability. By focusing on the breakdown of family cohesion, it offers a nuanced perspective on how geopolitical changes affect intimate human connections. However, the film lacks visibility regarding LGBTQ+ identities and disability representation. The narrative remains primarily focused on ethnic and political tensions in Ukraine.

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Category Breakdown

Does Close Relations have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film does not explicitly depict non-straight relationships. Instead, it focuses on the political and family divisions caused by the Maidan uprising.

How does Close Relations portray gender?

Fair

By emphasizing the personal experiences of family members, the film shifts away from traditional patriarchal structures. It highlights the emotional effort needed to navigate a geopolitical crisis.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Close Relations?

Fair

The documentary explores diverse ethnic and national identities within Ukraine. It challenges simplified national stories by showing a range of local and conflicting loyalties.

How does Close Relations represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The film deeply engages with the breakdown of traditional institutions. It portrays the dissolution of family and national unity through a lens of systemic complexity.

Does Close Relations include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no depiction of physical or neurodivergent disabilities in the film's narrative.

Present on Screen

Challenges simplified nationalist narratives by highlighting fragmented, individual perspectives.
Deconstructs traditional institutions like the family and state through a lens of systemic complexity.
Prioritizes personal, emotional experiences over the 'great men' of political history.

Limited or Absent

Lacks explicit representation or narratives concerning LGBTQ+ identities.
Provides no visible engagement with physical or neurodivergent disability representation.

Official Synopsis

Vitaly Mansky’s intimate and insightful new documentary finds him crisscrossing Ukraine in the wake of the Maidan uprising, which has left his relatives scattered on both sides of a highly charged and dizzyingly complex political situation.

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