For six years Nastia hasn’t been in contact with her family, and her sister, film director Marta Smerechynska, decides to break the silence. Nastia has become a resident of the convent of Brides of Christ located in Western Ukraine, and Marta films her in her new home. There, Marta not only struggles with the rules set by the nunnery, but also re-discovers her own beliefs and values.

Having renounced all her human possessions to become a part of this isolated world, Nastia’s choice allows for parallels to be drawn with the stories of other nuns – in those too, there is no lack of family misunderstandings and judgments, with the victims now residing inside the closed religious community. Marta seeks answers to why young girls decide to enter centuries-old churches to become Brides of Christ. They each have their own reasons, but the road – full of complications and revelations.

The premiere of Diary of a Bride of Christ took place in competition at the Sarajevo Film Festival. It was also screened in competition at the Odessa IFF, and nominated for a Ukrainian Film Critics’ Award in the Best Documentary Film category.