Sisters is a 2001 Russian

Cinema of Russia

The cinema of Russia began in the Russian Empire, widely developed under the Soviet and in the years following the fall of the Soviet system, the Russian film industry would remain internationally recognised...

 crime film

Crime film

Crime films are films which focus on the lives of criminals. The stylistic approach to a crime film varies from realistic portrayals of real-life criminal figures, to the far-fetched evil doings of imaginary arch-villains. Criminal acts are almost always glorified in these movies.- Plays and films...

 directed by Sergei Bodrov, Jr.

Sergei Bodrov, Jr.

Sergei Bodrov Jr. was a Russian actor who had lead roles in the movies Brother, Prisoner of the Mountains, The Stringer and Brother 2. He was the son of the Russian playwright, actor, director and producer Sergei Bodrov...

 It is notable as being his first and last film as director due to his death while filming his second film the year after.

Plot

Sveta (Oksana Akinshina

Oksana Akinshina

Oksana Aleksandrovna Akinshina , also known as Oksana Akinsjina, is a Russian actress. She is probably the best known for her roles in films Sisters, Lilya 4-ever, The Bourne Supremacy and Hipsters.- Early and personal life :...

) and Dina (Katya Gorina) are two half-sisters. Dina is spoiled and lives with her mother and father Alik (Roman Ageyev), who is a mid-ranking gang

Gang

A gang is a group of people who, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen...

ster, while Sveta lives with her grandma in a more humble existence and wishes to be a sniper

Sniper

A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....

 in the Russian Army

Armed Forces of the Russian Federation

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are the military services of Russia, established after the break-up of the Soviet Union. On 7 May 1992 Boris Yeltsin signed a decree establishing the Russian Ministry of Defence and placing all Soviet Armed Forces troops on the territory of the RSFSR...

.

Upon Alik's release from prison

Prison

A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...

 after doing some time for a robbery

Robbery

Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....

, some of his old associates demand him to pay them back some money he allegedly owes. When he refuses, they attempt to kidnap

Kidnapping

In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...

 the two girls to try to intimidate him to give them the money. However they manage to escape, and go on the run from the mob through semi-rural Russia while their father attempts to sort affairs with the other gangsters.

Tagline

When you are eight years old, the whole world is against you. When you are thirteen years old, it's you against the whole world.

Connections to the Brother films

Some believe that Sisters is the unofficial third entry in the Brother

Brother (1997 film)

Brother is a 1997 Russian crime film directed by Aleksei Balabanov and starring Sergei Bodrov, Jr. The sequel Brother 2 was released in 2000. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:...

film series. Besides the title and the gangster themes, all three feature Sergei Bodrov Jr. onscreen, who makes a cameo in this film as a possibly mob-connected New Russian

New Russian

New Russian is a term for the newly rich business class in post-Soviet Russia. It is perceived as a stereotypical caricature...

. It is unclear if he is in fact Danila, the character from the two official Brother films.