WHITE SNAIL
A feature film by Elsa Kremser & Levin Peter
AT/DE, 115 min
A Belarusian model dreaming of a career in China finds herself drawn to a mysterious loner who works the night shift at a morgue. Their encounter unsettles her sense of body, beauty, and mortality. The fragile love story of two outsiders who turn each other’s worlds upside down and discover that they are not alone.
WHITE SNAIL is a green production.
SALES/DISTRIBUTION
Word Sales: Intramovies
Distributor AT: Filmladen Verleih
Distributor DE: Real Fiction Filmverleih
PRODUCTION COMPANIES
FUNDERS/TV
Österreichisches Filminstitut
Eurimages
ÖFI+
Filmfonds Wien
Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung
Creative Europe MEDIA
ARTE
ORF Film/Fernsehabkommen
AWARDS
Locarno Concorso Internazionale 2025 – Special Jury Prize Locarno Concorso Internazionale 2025 – Pardo for Best Performance
Sarajevo Film Festival 2025 – CICAE Award
CREDITS
Cast: Marya Imbro & Mikhail Senkov, Olga Reptuh, Andrei Sauchanka, Anzhelika Prakopenia, Roman Kiselev, Katrusya Yasnovskaya, Tako Chan, Anastasia Satskevich, Erika Amiri, Nina Drako, Inna Ivanova, Iryna Smirnova, Evgeny Sheremet, Dmitri Muravijovs
Written & Directed by Elsa Kremser & Levin Peter
Cinematographer: Mikhail Khursevich
Editor: Stephan Bechinger
Music: John Gürtler, Jan Miserre
Original Sound: Simon Peter, Johannes Schmelzer-Ziringer
Sound Design: Jonathan Schorr
Re-recording Mixer: Lars Ginzel
Art Director: Kristine Vitola
Costume Designer: Lena Oger
Makeup Artist: Lana Kaun
Casting: Olga Travkina
Assistant to the directors: Kristina Kozlova
Producers: Lixi Frank, David Bohun, Elsa Kremser, Levin Peter
Coproducer: Heino Deckert, Tina Börner
Junior Producer: Camille Chanel
FESTIVALS
World Premiere: Locarno Film Festival - International Competition
Sarajevo Film Festival
Helsinki Film Festival
RIFF - Reykjavik International Film Festival
Mostra Internacional de Cinema de São Paulo
Viennale
PRESS
““A wonderful romantic drama““
Georg Szalai, HOLLYWOOD REPORTER (Review: How ‘White Snail’ Went From a Morgue in Belarus to a World Premiere in Locarno)
„Explores the subtle space that exists between fragility and allowing yourself to be vulnerable.”
„An unpredictable narrative arc and moody visual aesthetic“
“The performances come complete with a ring of truth.“
Amber Wilkinson, SCREEN DAILY (Review: Delicate Belarusian debut narrative feature focuses on two lonely souls)
"a tale of intimacy with strikingly atmospheric visuals"
"Imbro and Senkov’s performances feel deeply authentic, [...] as well as remarkably convincing, as if they had spent a lifetime in front of the camera."
Veronica Orciari, CINEUROPA (Review: White Snail)
„Impressively nuanced performances“
“Icy elegance in its handheld cinematography effectively renders the loneliness of its characters and the poignancy of its Minsk setting.”
David Robb, SLANT (Review: In Search of Romance in the Shadow of the Russia-Ukraine War)
“A rare and empathetic perspective on life in a country rarely seen on screen.“
Stephen Saito, MOVEABLE FEST (Review: Elsa Kremser and Levin Peter’s 'White Snail' Gets at an Unexpectedly Sticky Relationship)
„A film that is not afraid to push boundaries and investigate the complex recesses of the human soul.“
Matthew Joseph Jenner, INTERNATIONAL CINEPHILE SOCIETY (Review: White Snail (Elsa Kremser & Levin Peter))
"It’s hard to look away from the screen."
"Imbro is electrifying"
"This is a truly courageous film in so many ways for exploring the non-traditional bond that the film zeroes in on."
Thomas Duffy, FILM BOOK (Review: WHITE SNAIL: A Compelling Drama About the Healing Power of Companionship [Locarno 2025])
„Sensually intertwining a story of intimacy with visuals in metallic hues“
Firouz Pillet, J:MAG (Review: Deux prix au palmarès pour White Snail, du duo austro-allemand de cinéastes Elsa Kremer et Levin Peter)
ON INSTAGRAM
PANAMA Film GmbH & Co KG, Münzgasse 4/17, 1030 Wien, Austria | Imprint, Disclaimer & Privacy Policy | Copyright © 2025 PANAMA Film GmbH & Co KG. All rights reserved.