Alina Gorlova is a Ukrainian-Russian film director, screenwriter, and producer. She is best known for her debut feature film, The Unexpected Life (2016), which was screened at the Cannes Film Festival.
Gorlova was born in Donetsk, Ukraine in 1986. She grew up and studied in Kyiv, where she graduated with a degree in film and television directing from the Karpenko-Kary National University of Theatre, Cinema and Television. She then moved to Moscow, where she attended the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography.
Gorlova started her career in Russia, directing short films such as The Strange Life of Ivan Kuzmich (2013) and In the Forest (2015). In 2016, she released her first feature film, The Unexpected Life, which won her the Special Jury Prize at the Tokyo International Film Festival. The film follows a young woman, Sofia, who is forced to move to Moscow to start a new life.
Gorlova has also written and directed a number of television projects, such as the series History of Love (2015), The Life of a Young Lady (2015), and The House of Oranges (2016). In 2017, she directed the feature film The Story of a Young Lady, which was screened at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
Gorlova's work has been praised for its focus on strong female characters and its exploration of themes such as identity and belonging. She has been compared to renowned Russian filmmakers Andrei Tarkovsky and Andrei Zvyagintsev for her visual style and use of symbolism.
Gorlova is a member of the Russian Filmmakers’ Union and the European Documentary Network. In 2017, she was named one of Variety magazine’s “Ten Directors to Watch”. She currently lives and works in Moscow.
