Mathilde

Mathilde (2017) is a Russian historical drama you can watch online on iFILM, directed by Alexey Uchitel. Polish actress Michalina Olszańska plays ballerina Matilda Kshesinskaya of the Mariinsky Theatre; Lars Eidinger plays the young Tsarevich Nicholas, still years away from the crown.

Late nineteenth century. Nicholas falls for a dancer while the imperial court is already arranging his betrothal to a German princess. His mother Empress Maria Feodorovna (Ingeborga Dapkunaite) works against the relationship; grand dukes compete for Matilda's attention; the window is closing. Danila Kozlovsky, Sergei Garmash, and Evgeny Mironov fill out an ensemble that treats the period with precision rather than pageantry. The film arrived in Russian cinemas in 2017 surrounded by public controversy — which proved to be the most effective promotion Uchitel could have hoped for. Stream Mathilde online on iFILM.