An urban fairytale set in contemporary Moscow, Mermaid centers on Alisa, a quiet girl who can control the weather and make wishes come true.  When you Alisa is denied the opportunity to take ballet lessons, she makes a ten-year vow of silence and is sent to a special school, where she begins to recognize her unique talents.  Upon turning 17, she moves from her small seaside town to Moscow, only to fall immediately in love with a troubled young man named Sasha, who does not return her affection, despite the fact that he benefits from her magic.  Eventually, as the limitations of her wish-granting powers grow ever more apparent, Alisa swears to no longer attempt to alter reality.  In the process, she rediscovers her voice--and begins to consider more traditional ways of connecting to her world.  Recalling Amélie in its visual richness, charm, romance and whimsy, Mermaid is this year's Russian submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.

Filmography: Mars (04).

It is 2013.  The entire world has abolished capital punishment.  Prisons are over-crowded with formerly condemned men.  The international community decides to launch a risky experiment called "Terra Nova": a trial group of hardened convicts is sent away to a deserted Northern island, far from civilization, to see if they can start a new life.  There, free from the control of wardens and guards, the convicts begin a fierce struggle for survival and coexistence.  One of the most expensive Russian productions ever made, Melnik's anti-utopian meditation is part savage action film and part intellectual thriller, and despite its grim "Lord of the Flies" theme, manages to keep a wry perspective on the absurdities of the human condition.

First feature film