Exploring the primal need for belonging and acceptance, Core of the World is a sensitive and revelatory naturalistic drama from a remarkable new talent. It centers on Egor, a young man from a troubled background, who works as a vet at a training facility for hunting dogs in provincial Russia. For him, getting along with animals is much easier than dealing with humans. Luckily, in this primeval place, animals abound. And the family that he works for might become a means to heal his emotional wounds. Director Natalia Meshchaninova has a deep understanding of human desires and behaviors that she translates into resonant images. Meshchaninova co-wrote the script with husband Stepan Devonin, the actor playing Egor, who actually trained as a vet before taking up filmmaking.