Freeze Die Come to Life is a 1989 Soviet drama film directed by Vitali Kanevsky. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Caméra d'Or.

Plot

Set in 1947 in the desolate mining town of Suchan, the story follows teenagers Valerka and Galiya, who share a love-hate friendship as they navigate the harsh realities of their lives. Valerka, spotting Galiya selling hot water labeled as "tea" in the freezing town market, mimics her and claims his water is fresher. With his earnings, he buys skates, only to have them stolen, but Galiya helps him retrieve them. Valerka also gets into trouble at school for a prank involving yeast in the toilets, leading his mother to beg the principal not to expel him. After a local train operator beats him for riding coal cars, Valerka mischievously redirects a rail switch, causing the train to derail. Afraid of being caught, he confides in Galiya and flees to Vladivostok, where he briefly joins a gang, unwittingly assisting in a jewelry store robbery that turns violent. However, when the gang suspects him of being a snitch, they decide to kill him.

Awards