An aviation coming-of-age drama, Brother in Every Inch follows Russian-born identical twins Mitya and Andrey (played by twins Sergey and Nikolav Zhuravlyov), who share a dream of becoming military pilots. Eventually, they become trainee airforce pilots. Like most twins, they share a unique relationship, and the dynamic between the brothers reveals that while they may look identical, their personalities and capabilities are quite different. Andrey is the confident, competent brother, whereas Mitya needs help.

Written and directed by Alexander Zolotukhin (A Russian Youth), he treats the audience to some vivid and realistic aerial scenes featuring the trainee pilots in fighter jets, which prove as exciting as any big-budget Hollywood film.  Many shots filmed on a Russian airbase training field added to the realism.

Zolotukhin talked about his film via zoom as part of the Encounters program at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival. “My father is a pilot, so I spent my entire childhood on airfields. I love this subject, and I have a great passion for it,” he said. “And also, I’m always interested in how people behave in extreme circumstances, as well as the themes of war and brotherhood.”

While the usual trajectory of a film about friendship and deep connection between two leads usually begins with the protagonists as adversaries, the foundation of this story is very different. “This is about two brothers who are very close to each other and forced to live in constant danger and tension. They are like trees. They grow so close that eventually, they obstruct the sun from each other. Both act as a help and a liability,” says Zolotukhin.

The casting process was more challenging than he expected. “I couldn’t find real actors who were identical twins. Eventually, I Googled ‘twins’ and came across Sergey and Nikolav. One of them got into acting school, and the other didn’t, and the one who was accepted refused to attend without his brother. The following year they both passed, and it was a perfect example of brotherly love which strongly resonated with the theme of the film,” he said. “I knew these guys were who I needed for the film even though they were inexperienced.”

The actors turned in impressive performances and proved to be more than up to the task. “I wanted to make a movie about twins. It’s the idea of two people being so close that their mutual love and respect prevents them from being independent beings is universal. We see it with mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, brothers and sisters, but the idea of twins is a symbol of absolute closeness between two people,” Zolotukhin says. “It was a perfect setup to tap into the full potential of conflict.”