Adapted from the novel of the same name by Rosa Liksom comes Juho Kuosmanen’s Compartment No. 6 (Hytti nro 6), a film that takes place mostly within the confines of a Russian train. Young Finnish student Laura (Seidi Haarla), leaves her girlfriend Irina (Dinara Drukarova) behind, with the hopes of seeing the petroglyphs in Murmansk. Her spirits are dampened once she gets trapped in a small compartment with the messy and vulgar Vadim (Yuri Borisov), but over time, a bond begins to form between the two protagonists that changes their lives.

There’s something beautiful about watching two people who were previously unknown to each other share a journey so incredibly transformative. Kuosmanen allows the audience room to think about the people we’ve met over the course of our lives who have changed us, for better or worse, just like how Laura and Vadim will be forever altered by having met one another. Kuosmanen captures exactly what it’s like to be human – messy and flawed and often hurting one another, but at the same time, we’ll also go to the ends of the earth to make someone we love happy.

The plot here is kept simple, and because of its simplicity, we get to sit back and witness Haarla and Borisov skillfully bring Laura and Vadim’s relationship to life. Their need for connection, even for only a short moment in time, is yet another beautiful look at a very human need.

Compartment No. 6 feels like a breath of fresh air. The emotional effect this film has on the viewer may not be apparent until that final scene, but when it finally hits you, you realise just how profoundly moved you’ve been by the entire experience.

RATING: 4/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Yuriy Borisov, Seidi Haarla, Dinara Drukarova

DIRECTOR: Juho Kuosmanen

WRITERS: Andris Feldmanis, Juho Kuosmanen, Rosa Liksom, Livia Ulman

SYNOPSIS:  Two strangers who share the same compartment on a train embark on a journey that will change their lives.