Vassa

Vassa (Russian: Васса) is a 1983 Soviet drama film directed by Gleb Panfilov. It is based on Maxim Gorky's 1910 play Vassa Zheleznova. Vassa won the Golden Prize at the 13th Moscow International Film Festival. The film was also selected as the Soviet entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 56th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee. The film tells the story of how a ruthless matriarch struggles to protect her family's legacy and reputation amidst betrayal, scandal, and her own impending demise in pre-revolutionary Russia.