Two generations of Russian immigrants go to the country for a birthday, but when someone witnesses a mysterious violent crime, a shadow is cast over the weekend.

This is a story about love—the kind we chase, the kind we settle for, and the kind that sneaks up on us when we’re not paying attention. It’s about permanence, or the lack of it, and the terrifying realisation that maybe nothing in life—no feeling, no relationship—ever truly stays the same. Alisa Melikova’s debut film Illusions (2025) is a rich tapestry of emotions, following two couples whose lives have been entwined for 50 years. It poses the question: Is love real, or just a story we tell ourselves? And in the end, does it even matter?

When a single, unattributed missile is launched at the United States, a race begins to determine who is responsible and how to respond.