After a teenage girl dies during childbirth, midwife Anna Khitrova begins to read through the girl's diary in an attempt to return the child to her biological family. Her search brings her dangerously close to a violent Russian crime family with more than a few secrets. Brutal and stark, Viggo Mortensen's Academy Award-nominated performance is commanding, as is director David Cronenberg’s departure from body horror in favor of more brooding, humanistic drama.