18-year-old Alisa was conceived in the sea where her mother chanced upon a sailor, yet she grew up only with her mother and grandmother in a little house on the seashore. After a series of disappointments, she decides to stop speaking and then spends her school years in a special school, where she discovers her ability to foresee the future and make wishes come true. At the age of 17 she leaves for Moscow to continue her studies. One evening she jumps into the river to save a young man, Sasha, who tries to drown himself, unable to cope with his stressful and ambitious career in the fierce world of commerce. She falls in love with him but her feelings are unrequited. Or perhaps she is mistaken? This modern variation on the fairy tale about the little mermaid was a hit on the Russian film scene last year. The emotively vibrant kaleidoscope of images from the heroine’s life is dominated by a stirring soundtrack and a remarkable performance from Masha Shalaeva in the title role.