Larisa (2026): Cast, Story and Release Details

Prepared by Movies Dock Editorial

Larisa is Elem Klimov’s intimate documentary tribute to his late wife, filmmaker Larisa Shepitko. Drawing on excerpts from her films and archival audio, the 21-minute Soviet Union production reflects on her life, artistic voice and legacy through preserved images and recorded conversations about life and art.

Larisa is a 21-minute documentary directed by Elem Klimov in memory of filmmaker Larisa Shepitko. The film is built from excerpts from Shepitko’s work and archival recordings in which she discusses life and art.

Rather than presenting a conventional biographical account, the documentary centers Shepitko’s own presence through preserved film material and audio. Its focus is both personal and artistic, connecting Klimov’s tribute with the work she left behind.

Larisa movie details

Story without spoilers

The documentary follows Elem Klimov’s remembrance of Larisa Shepitko, who died in a car accident a year before the film was made. It brings together excerpts from all of Shepitko’s films with archival audio of her speaking about her ideas, life and artistic practice.

The result is a concise portrait assembled from existing images and recordings. The film’s subject is Shepitko as both a person and a director, with the archive providing the central means of telling her story without recreating events or presenting a fictionalized narrative.

What to expect

As a documentary short, Larisa is focused on remembrance, biography and film history. Viewers can expect a compact, archival-based portrait rather than an extended account of Shepitko’s life. The material includes excerpts from her films and recorded discussions of life and art, giving the documentary a reflective structure rooted in her work and voice.

Cast and creative team

Elem Klimov directs Larisa and is also credited as a writer alongside German Klimov. Larisa Shepitko appears as herself through archive footage. The cast also includes Oleksandr Dovzhenko, Elem Klimov, Valentin Rasputin, Stefaniya Stanyuta and Maya Bulgakova, with the listed appearances identified as self or archival footage roles.

• Larisa Shepitko as Self (archive footage)
• Oleksandr Dovzhenko as Self (archive footage)
• Elem Klimov as Self
• Valentin Rasputin as Self
• Stefaniya Stanyuta as Self
• Maya Bulgakova as Self

Release and production context

Larisa is a 2026 documentary from the Soviet Union, spoken in Russian. It has a runtime of 21 minutes and is listed as released on August 15, 2026. The production companies are Mosfilm and Tretye Tvorcheskoe Obyedinenie.

Production companies: Mosfilm, Tretye Tvorcheskoe Obyedinenie

Movies Dock view

Larisa offers a brief, archive-centered remembrance of Larisa Shepitko, combining material from her films with her own recorded reflections. Its short runtime makes it a focused document of a director’s work and the personal tribute created by Elem Klimov.

Film data:
TMDB · IMDb