Lukas Moodysson's drama stars Oksana Akinshina as a Russian 16-year-old growing up in poverty. Abandoned by her mother, who leaves for America, she's ousted from the family flat by her aunt and, almost by accident, starts sleeping with men for money. Briefly, salvation seems to come from Pavel Ponomaryov, who promises her a better life in Sweden but like much of her life, she is being lied to again. Moodysson's film sounds relentless but thanks to Akinshina's performance in just her second picture and the occasional flight of fancy, this allegory on the collapse of the Eastern European promise is quietly and dramatically compelling
Lilya 4-Ever is a Film programme that first aired in 2002 and has been classified a 18 certificate.
