“People must know what is happening here; with your pen, you can show them.” These words are spoken and they grip you tightly as the trailer for “Ashes in the Snow” shows you the harsh conditions and misery felt during World War II. But will Lina’s art be celebrated or cause her more trouble?
Based on Ruta Sepetys’ bestselling novel “Between Shades of Gray,” the historical drama “Ashes in the Snow” looks at a period of World War II that is often overshadowed: The Soviet Union’s annexation of the Baltic states. In the film, instead of the Nazi uniform, the soldiers are wearing the uniforms of the Red Army, but the human exploitation and forced labor camps are the same.
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Bel Powley stars as Lina, a young artist whose world is turned upside down when she is deported from her home in Lithuania alongside her family, which is almost separated. They are said to be guilty of treason and are forced into a labor camp. Powley is a fairly fresh face, as she is best known for her role of Minnie Goetze in the comedy-drama “The Diary of a Teenage Girl,” which she starred alongside Kristen Wiig and Alexander Skarsgård.
Starring alongside Powley is Martin Wallstrom, Lisa Loven Kongsli, Jonah Hauer-King, Peter Franzén, and Sophie Cookson.
As the biggest Lithuanian movie, “Ashes in the Snow,” had its world premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival on September 21 of last year. The film will be released in select theaters and VOD today.
You can watch the trailer below. Here is the official synopsis:
In 1941, During World War II, a 16-year-old aspiring artist and her family are deported to Siberia amidst Stalin’s brutal dismantling of the Baltic region. One girl’s passion for art and her never-ending hope will break the silence of history.