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Polina is a 2016 French drama film directed by Valérie Müller and Angelin Preljocaj. The film stars Anastasia Shevtsova as the protagonist, Polina, alongside Veronika Zhovnytska and Juliette Binoche in supporting roles. The film is inspired by the graphic novel "Polina" by Bastien Vivès. Polina is a young girl who discovers her passion for dance at a very young age. She trains rigorously and dedicates her life to mastering the art. Her parents are both engineers and they want her to follow in their footsteps, but Polina knows her calling is dance.

When Polina is accepted into the prestigious Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow, she is thrilled. However, she soon realizes that the strict and traditional methods of the academy do not suit her modern and innovative style of dance. She starts to doubt her abilities and loses her confidence.

Polina's life takes an unexpected turn when she meets a French choreographer named Liria (Juliette Binoche) who recognizes her talent and invites her to audition for a contemporary dance company in France. Polina decides to take a risk and leaves Russia to pursue her dream in France.

In France, Polina faces new challenges and struggles to adapt to the contemporary dance style. She works hard and eventually earns a place in the company. There, she meets another dancer, Adrien (Niels Schneider), who becomes her partner both on and off the stage. Together, they explore new ways of expressing themselves through dance.

However, Polina's success comes at a price. She realizes that the dance world is not as glamorous as she once thought and that it demands a lot from her physically and emotionally. She starts to question whether dance is truly worth sacrificing everything else in her life for.

The film is beautifully shot with stunning dancing sequences throughout. Anastasia Shevtsova delivers a powerful performance as Polina, portraying her vulnerabilities and determination with grace and elegance. Veronika Zhovnytska also stands out as Polina's childhood friend and fellow dancer who remains loyal to her no matter what.

Juliette Binoche's character, Liria, brings a sense of depth and complexity to the film. Her presence is both captivating and mysterious and her interactions with Polina reveal her own inner turmoil and struggles.

Overall, Polina is a moving film that explores the themes of passion, identity, and the price of success. It is a beautifully choreographed and acted film that will leave audiences captivated and deeply moved.

Polina is a 2016 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 48 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.7 and a MetaScore of 65.