Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov delivers a scathing satire on religious fundamentalism in this dark study of a Russian teenager's spiritual awakening that spirals violently out of control.

Venya believes the world is nearing its end. Studying the Bible obsessively, incessantly quoting chapter and verse, his refusal to undress for swimming lessons is the unusual first step on a path to religious fanaticism. The next is a series of conflicts with his mother, classmates and most potently his biology teacher Elena, when he objects to her Darwinian theories of evolution and modern teachings on sex and homosexuality. Obsessed with Christian doctrine, yet empowered by his faith, Venya embarks on a right-wing crusade to reform his school and those around him. How far will he go?

A savage satire of the state of Russia today (it is no secret that Putin's time in power has seen the Orthodox Church's power increase), this is a powerful, mesmerising and deeply unsettling piece of work.

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