Sisters

In the middle of Anastasia’s existential crisis, a conservative Christian American couple arrives with the stated intent of adopting both Anastasia and Diana and bringing them back to the U.S. to live with them and their biological teenage daughter. This wealthy foreign couple showing up when they do initially seem like an answered prayer. The staff at the orphanage are over the moon for Anastasia, telling her that it’s very rare for girls her age to be adopted.

On a week-long outing with the Americans, they begin immediately trying to indoctrinate the two girls into not only the particulars of American customs but also into their religion. They insist the girls have no privacy, demanding to see Anastasia’s phone. She pushes back by openly flouting their mores. She teaches their other teen daughter provocative dance moves to Reggaeton music and makes it clear she will bring a bad influence into the family. She tells Diana that she should go with them to the U.S. to live in the land of red, white, and blue Jesus. Then she runs away from the “test drive” family, and everyone involved is relieved. When she returns to the orphanage, she finds her room has been given to new children coming in.

“…tells an authentic story about children ill-equipped to deal with a cold world…”

The defining moment for Anastasia comes when she liberates her favorite canine orphan from a shelter, and they fly along the sidewalk at ground level on a skateboard with the dog pulling her at speed. They are both running… not necessarily from or to something, just flowing in the freedom of the moment. Anastasia has a self-awareness, wit, and intelligence that her mother and sisters don’t seem to have, and we hope, despite all odds, that she will make a life for herself that is stable, calm, and happy before her rage consumes her.

Sisters is the debut feature for Olte, but she handles the material like a seasoned veteran filmmaker. She presents the troubled lives of these young girls with no pretense or social-justice scolding. The narrative tells an authentic story about children ill-equipped to deal with a cold world, thrust into the chaos of the streets of a city. Of course, the film’s real star is Emma Skirmante, who plays Anastasia. She acts with a presence and confidence beyond her years. The film depends on her performance, as the narrative follows her character throughout, and she carries it with authenticity and power. She gracefully conveys Anastasia’s rage, disappointment, and despair in nuanced expressions and postures. Sisters presents a situation that happens far too often around the world and allows the viewer to feel that angst in an authentic way despite being set in a far-distant country.