The Way Forward (2017)

7 Strangers spend a day around the dining table of a Russian Psychologists conducting a research study about forgiveness. Reluctant to participate, each person gradually share their deepest wounds and relationships with their dads. What happens when they pour out their heart on the hands and leave it at the mercy of other broken people? "The Way Forward" is an experimental feature film about fatherhood and forgiveness. The story is inspired by true events. The plot develops around Dr. Koval (Yury Tsykun of "Burn After Reading") a Russian psychiatrist who invites seven strangers to his dining room and challenges them to forgive their fathers. Dr. Koval is conducting a research for his latest book "The Way Forward: How Forgiveness Leads to Healing". The film was shot with 6 cameras, 4 cameras running simultaneously in the span of 12 hours. The dialogue was completely improvised by the cast who where guided by quotes and a story structure. Each character is based on real life stories. The actors had one day to rehearse to execute method acting. The style of the film was inspired by Sidney Lumet's "12 Angry Men" and by John Hughes's "The Breakfast Club".