Directed and written by Philipp Yuryev, the film stars Vladimir Onokhov, Vladimir Lyubimtsev, and Kristina Asmus in a Russian-Belgian-Polish drama presented in its original version with subtitles. The French release is scheduled for January 28, 2026.
Leshka lives in an isolated village on the Bering Strait where whaling shapes daily life. The recent arrival of the internet turns his world upside down when he discovers a cam girl whose videos awaken a need to escape.
This curiosity turns into a desire to see other places, prompting Leshka to question his environment, his bearings, and the invisible boundary that separates his life from the images he discovers online.
According to the distributor, the film was produced in Russia, Belgium, and Poland. Philipp Yuryev makes his feature film debut here, which has been noticed at festivals. The film won the Grand Prix at the 2021 Cabourg Film Festival and was nominated at Premiers Plans d'Angers in the European first feature film category. Vladimir Onokhov plays Leshka, surrounded by actors from contemporary Russian cinema.
The tone is that of an intimate drama focused on isolation, adolescence, and the impact of an outside world that is only accessible in fragments. A story for viewers who are drawn to portraits of remote territories and coming-of-age journeys.
The Whale Hunter
Film | 2026
In theaters January 28, 2026
Drama | Running time: 1h33
By Philipp Yuryev | Starring Vladimir Onokhov, Vladimir Lyubimtsev, Kristina Asmus
Original title: Kitoboy
Nationality: Russia, Belgium, Poland
A coming-of-age drama observing the isolated life of a teenager and his relationship with the outside world.
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