Reviews and Festivals
"A stark, striking portrait of a tough tundra nomad. A magnetic 26-year-old mother of five compels attention and repels judgement in a rigorously realist snapshot of life in the Arctic tundra... An unadorned slice of extremely hard, extremely precarious life that is still somehow lived with a robust and unsentimental determination."
— Variety
"An uncompromising of a tough woman living amidst harsh conditions... A character study and a portrait of a person who is both common and extraordinary. In its social dimension, it defied stereotypes and expectations."
— CINEUROPA
"Documaker Renata Borrayo Serrano offers eye0opening glimpses into the harrowing and chaotic life of a modern Nenets woman what overturn stereotypes about Arctic life."
— The Film Verdict
"Renato Borrayo Serrano gives us a fly-on-the-wall view into Ivanna's daily life, delivering an unflinching and intimate portrait of this hearty, unflappable woman and a rare peek into the unique world of an Nenets family on the northern tundra."
— Karen McMullen, DOCNYC
"One of those rare films which combines an extremely charismatic lead with beautifully artistic direction... It's a forthright documentary which doesn't flinch during the more difficult moments. Life of Ivanna is a compelling portrait of a tough and determined woman."
— Backseat Mafia
"Serrano has the ability to create anxiety via images of the family's everyday life"
— POV
"Serrano's film follows the adage that the best way to learn about people in general is to look at one person very carefully."
— Business Doc Europe
"The camera feels like an organic part of Ivanna's life, eager to catch the important snippets of her life."
— Asian Movie Pulse
"Through raw and unfiltered imagery, [Serrano] employs a direct cinema approach that seems to have no impact or interaction with reality. It is precisely here that Life of Ivanna draws its poetic and staggering strength: a raw chronicle of one of the last nomadic peoples on Earth... Captivated me by its breathtaking dramatization of reality, making us privileged witnesses to a world that resists but is threatened to collapse under the influence of modern civilization."
—Bruno Boëz, Producer, Critic and Programmer, tënk Canada
"An unflinching portrait of resilience in the face of climate change... Far from being an ethnographic study of Nenets living, or a voyeuristic story of tragedy, the documentary masterfully crafts an unflinching portrait of a strong young woman who, despite countless obstacles, decisively commits to taking care of her family... Life of Ivanna successfully captures the everyday microcosm of a young family navigating stormy seas."
— New East Digital Archive
"With great intimacy and empathy, this film portrays the struggle of Ivanna to gain control over her life and future."
— The Why
WINNER
Zurich Film Festival, Documentary Competition
Elgouna Film Festival, Feature Documentary Competition
OFFICIAL SELECTION
HotDocs
DOCNYC
Krakow Film Festival
CPH:DOX
goEast
Shanghai International Film Festival
DOCAVIV
DOK fest
Tromso International Film Festival
Black Movie Festival
Nordic Docs