Among Grey Stones

Set in the 19th century, Among Grey Stones follows a family attempting to cope with the death of its young matriarch. Her husband, a judge, overcome by grief, becomes consumed by memories of his wife, resulting in his neglect of work and his children. Vasya, the couple’s son, tries to escape a home where everything serves as a reminder of his mother. He seeks refuge in a haven of eccentric outsiders—demoted generals, former aristocrats, and street philosophers—who have occupied the basement of an abandoned castle. It is here that Vasya forms a friendship with a boy his age named Valko and his younger sister, Marusya. When Marusya falls ill, Vasya secretly takes his sister’s doll from home in order to gift it to her, but the theft sparks a confrontation between father and son, culminating in their reconciliation. Framed within an armature of grim realism and pessimism, Among Grey Stones was heavily re-edited by the film studio and ultimately banned from public screening. In protest of these editorial decisions, Kira Muratova removed her name from the film credits. A Janus Films release.