Mariinka (2026) Movie Drinking Game
Take a Drink: for target practice
Take a Drink: for explosions
Take a Drink: for Communist iconography
Take a Drink: for ironic juxtaposition
Do a Shot: for stories of families divided against themselves
By: Henry J. Fromage (Two Beers) –
When Russia invaded in February 2022, the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine (and the town of Mariinka) had been in full-fledged conflict since 2014.
Mariinka follows the story of various inhabitants of the titular town across 9 years of increasingly escalating conflict, one that has divided this city and its people against itself.
A Toast
Director Pieter-Jan De Pue covers a wide range of experiences of the children of Mariinka as they grow into young adults and often combatants (although not always, one brother was been adopted by an American family as a baby). His juxtaposition of more innocent times and the war-torn reality of their present is effective and affecting.
His principal subjects include four brothers who grew up in an orphanage. Now one disabled from an explosion, one is fighting for Ukraine, one was fighting for the separatists and is now formally a part of the Russian army, and the last is that American teen who keeps in touch with them all. Others include a woman who smuggles goods across the post-apocalyptic no man’s land who dated the now Russian-sympathizing brother, and a dancer turned young military medic. He employs a mix of shooting styles fitting this mix of stories and timeframes- immediate and terrifying handheld, gorgeous natural compositions, even some dramatic recreations to suggest interiority- but wisely doesn’t overwhelm substance with style.
Also, I have to mention something that may shock non-Russian viewers- the presence of Stalin iconography. As the leader during Russia’s last substantial military glory- the Great Patriotic War (how World War II is referred to across the country), his esteem has been restored despite the many, many reasons why it shouldn’t be. When I lived there in 2014 his Kremlin grave had more flowers on it than anyone’s, and the glorification of dictatorship doesn’t look like it’ll abate anytime too soon.
Beer Two
Mariinka could have have perhaps done with more signposting of relationships and time periods earlier on in the film to better orient the audience.
Verdict
Mariinka is a tale as old as time- one of brother against brother and War sundering a community that once was united.
