Ovsyanki means Buntings, but in the US, the movie was titled Silent Souls. I don’t watch many Russian films, but Russian filmmakers seem to have a thing for starting movies with a pair of birds. Within 12 minutes, I realized that I was doomed to take the wrong cues from Silent Souls because of cultural differences, and I was literally lost in translation. If you’re interested in themes of loss, death, love, sex and friendship without too much melodrama, then I would give this movie a chance. To avoid being like me, don’t continuously ask yourself the following questions: is murder involved or is this unusual? The answer to both questions is apparently it isn’t, and just watch the movie. Yes, a lot of the events of the movie are weird to the average American viewer-try to get over it and pay attention. I also think that older men would love Silent Souls since it explores relationships with fathers, wives and friends from a male perspective. The film has a tenderness and vulnerability rarely paired with a sexually frank movie. Silent Souls is the real avant grade cinema. If you are sensitive to nudity or sexual situations, maybe it will help to remind you that the majority of nudity and sexual situations in Silent Souls occur between a husband and wife. Not for everyone, but if my description sounds appealing, Silent Souls may be worth the effort. A good movie, but lost on me.