The Mainland

A woman named Marfa returns to a remote Pacific island with her son, revisiting the lighthouse where her father once worked. Her arrival coincides with the appearance of her half-brother, Ilya, whom she has not seen in years. The siblings share a dark secret from their childhood, and despite their attempts to move forward, their past resurfaces. This tension is mirrored by the presence of a mysterious whale swimming near the coast, which seems to be communicating something to Marfa.

The Mainland is a Russian drama directed by Yulia Trofimova. It is the third film in a sequence of projects released by the director in 2026, following Please Comment On It and preceding How to Survive a Marriage. The screenplay was written by Ekaterina Mavromatis and Dana Zhane, with Nadiia Hareva-Rekhter and Tatyana Serebrennikova serving as producers. The production was supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, Kinoprime Foundation, and Star Media. With a runtime of 91 minutes, the film has received a modest response from viewers, holding a rating of 5.9/10 on IMDb based on 60 votes.