KSENIA KRINITSYNA-SAZHINA
Finalist of the Documentary Film Happy People
Ksenia Krinitsyna-Sazhina was a finalist in Season 1 of the Russian Film Festival South Africa International with her autobiographical documentary Happy People. The film draws on her personal experience to tell an intimate and moving story.
HAPPY PEOPLE
In the heart of Tatarstan, along the Volga River. Generations of “Happy People” spent over 60 years turning their land into a paradise. But everything changed when their property was sold to a local entrepreneur, leaving their community uprooted and uncertain.
Happy People is Ksenia’s deeply personal story of her native land and the people she grew up with. At its core, the film celebrates the strength of a woman’s love, for her son, her mother, her land, her language, and her traditions. It is this love that unites people, giving them resilience and joy even in the face of loss. Drawing on Tatar mythology, the documentary becomes a parable that invites us to reflect on values, justice, and legacy. True happiness, it reminds us, is found not in luxury, but in connection to the land and in honoring the memory of our ancestors.
DIRECTOR BIOGRAPHY
Ksenia Krinitsyna-Sazhina was born on July 16, 1980, in Kazan, Tatarstan. She graduated with honors from Kazan Theatre School in 2004 and went on to perform more than 80 roles over two decades on stage. In 2019, she expanded her creative journey, graduating from Moscow State University and VGIK as a film director. Over the years, Ksenia has participated in national and international theater festivals, receiving numerous awards for her artistry. Today, her films weave together cultural heritage and universal human themes, leaving audiences with both personal and timeless reflections.
CURRENT PROJECTS
Ksenia is currently developing a feature film tentatively titled 400 to the West. The film tells the extraordinary true story of Alexander Kanyshev. In 1994 and 1995 he crawled 400 kilometers from Diveevsky Monastery to Trinity Sergius Lavra. His pilgrimage lasted 9.5 months through frost, mud and harsh terrain. It became a profound testament to faith, sacrifice and hope.