Regis Wargnier - Est - Ouest (1999)

June 1946: Stalin invites Russian emigres to return to the motherland. It's a trap: when a ship-load from France arrives in Odessa, only a physician and his family are spared execution or prison. He and his French wife (her passport ripped up) are sent to Kiev. She wants to return to France immediately; he knows that they are captives and must watch every step. By chance, she meets a touring French actress and pleads for help. She also takes a young swimmer under her wing, and several years later, he makes a bold attempt to escape. Meanwhile, the KGB is suspicious, and hope for freedom is dim. Patience, her husband's self control, and her good looks may be their only assets.
A powerful portrayal of love, heroism and tyranny, Est-Ouest makes a striking contrast to Régis Wargnier previous epic film, Indochine . With its bold, epic feel, relentlessly leaden cinematography and convincing performances, Est-Ouest is a compelling work made with great skill, confidence and humanity.

Audio: French and Russian
Subtitles: English, Spanish