Spagat (2020)

Marina, a teacher in her mid-forties, leads a quiet family life with her husband and daughter. But appearances are deceptive. In secret, she is having an affair with Artem, the father of her student Ulyana. For years, both Marina and Artem have been living without residence permits on the outskirts of a small town in Switzerland. Their secret remains intact until one day Ulyana is caught stealing. Artem is called in, and only by using force can he wrest his daughter from the security guards. After a panicked escape, he sees no other option but to leave the small town with Ulyana for the time being. The incident has far-reaching consequences: it not only destroys the livelihood of Artem and his daughter, but also brings Marina’s part in what happened to light. Increasingly troubled by Artem’s sudden loss of contact and Ulyana’s absence from class, Marina discovers that Artem is being publicly sought. But it is only after Ulyana, following a week of waiting it out, decides on her own to return to the small town that the exhausted Artem tells Marina what happened. Marina is shocked to realize that she bears some responsibility for the difficult situation. Torn between loyalty and self-preservation, the teacher decides to take her student in temporarily. It is a fateful decision that causes Marina’s web of lies to unravel further and further. When Artem is apprehended and arrested a few days later, Marina decides to take a radical step.