In co-production with
CHANNEL ONE RUSSIA
Supported by SAGA FILM STUDIO,
TOR FILM PRODUCTION, METRANOM STUDIO
With the financial support from Ministry of Culture of Russia
With the financial support from Ukrainian State Film Agency
"There is no such thing as line and modeling.
A drawing is a relationship of contrasts
or simply the relationship between black and white." Paul Cezanne
Under Electric Clouds
We've lived through different times.
One era replaced another sending off sparks.
Good or bad, those eras were part of our life.
Countless days and nights.
Snowy winters, brief thaws, heatwaves, melting snow.
We entered each new era confused.
Crucified between equally great past and future.
It's 2017.
100 years after the Russian revolution.
Everyone's waiting for a great war.
Globalization has not united the world. History is not over.
Early Modern times are here again. Tough. With no simple solutions.
We enter a new era armed with historical experience.
But we don't notice the musty jackets of our predecessors clinging to us.
We can't tell ourselves apart from them.
But there have always been people who used to be called superfluous.
Just people, no better or worse than the others.
Others often dislike them and stick labels on them.
Yet somehow nothing in this world happens without these people.
Without them, there can be no picture of our world, our country, our time.
This is a story about them. And about an unfinished building,
which became a cornerstone in the lives of our characters.
I saw this guy. I don't think he knows that construction has stopped.
He is so miserable, out of everything. And we're so satisfied.
It's just awkward how miserable he is.
Where's your conscience? It's so cold.
You're such a pig. Take your coat off!
Mister! Immigrant!
Wait!
Put this on. Stay with us.
We'll feed you.
Chapter 1. Foreign Speech
Rashid!
How do we get to the station?
- He can't speak. - You can't speak.
The borders are on fire. It's no time for construction.
Your construction site's closed. Go find another site!
He can't speak.
Look there! Look up there!
It's starting. For the first time. It's magic.
Understand? It's magic!
It used to be plain sky. And now there's this.
They say,
Shanghai and Tokyo will have it too.
It seems the future is here. No more ordinary lives the people used to live...
(speaking Kyrgyz)
(speaking Kyrgyz) You can't be here.
What is this place?
A show or museum. Opening night.
Why the music?
They had a party. They're still partying.
My stereo is down. Where can I get it fixed?
- I can't speak. - I don't know.
If you don't understand the language, smile.
A woman got stabbed here. Make sure you always carry your ID.
I lost my purse just now. I can't find it.
Too bad, it was a nice purse.
What's the situation in China?
A crisis...
What are the forecasts?
I thought so...
A crisis...
(speaking Kyrgyz)
- (speaking Kyrgyz) - Sorry. I don't get it.
(in Kyrgyz) I need a shop to fix electronics.
What do you need?
(in Kyrgyz) I need a shop to fix electronics.
You need a shop that fixes electronics?
So just ask for an electronics repair shop.
You need an electronics repair shop.
I...
The first words are very hard. Just say it:
"I need an electronics repair shop".
I...
...need...
...lectronic repairs.
I need electronics repair shop.
I speaks.
Hi.
I speaks...
I need an electronics repair shop.
I speaks.
(speaking a foreign language)
I says.
I talks.
Chapter 2. The Heirs
You were abroad for four years? And three more before that?
Yes. I went to school, then college. I wanted to go to Istanbul but I didn't.
My father died. We came to take care of things.
Go ahead, please.
- Hello. - Hello.
Why didn't anyone come to get us?
The walls are so damp.
The roof is leaking.
Where's everyone?
Valera, Marina... The gardener, what was his name?
Sasha. We never opened the house ourselves.
The guards or someone else always did it.
I read that scientists discovered that all our feelings are just chemicals.
I think that's nonsense.
- It's not true, is it? - It's not nonsense.
- Did you hear the door? - No.
The robot's broken.
Sasha!
My darling! Poor, lonely girl.
My little girl. Life's so unfair sometimes.
There's no explaining it. You just have to try to accept it.
But acceptance is impossible.
My dear little angel.
I'm so scared and in pain, too.
There's no death, don't think of it.
Your Dad's just somewhere incredibly far away. But he's still with you.
And he loves you.
I am sorry. I couldn't come to the airport. I was busy.
There's nobody around here. Dad just fell asleep and died.
It was only us at the cemetery. Nobody came.
When he was alive, people came. Why? It used to be different.
We had parties. Musicians came from abroad.
Probably because Dad used to have tons of money.
It's okay. Go ahead and cry.
When we take care of the inheritance you'll be rich and free.
- Hi. - Hi, Uncle Boris.
The roof's leaking.
I wanted to go to Istanbul. They treat you different if you're a foreigner.
Why is it different everywhere else?
Where's everyone?
- Valera, Marina? - They all left.
Servants are like that. Useless people.
- It's cold here. - Stop complaining.
You're always cold. Your Dad was cut of stone. He made huge money.
In 20 years, he almost became a God.
No matter what, he always won. And you're an airhead.
Look, it's working again.
Sasha, let's play for a Coke.
- Do you know where we keep the sheets? - No.
Military trucks keep coming.
I found this bag. Dad gave it to me, look.
Sasha, let's travel. We'll keep going.
We'll see people, countries, and cities.
We're right to sell everything.
Assets, liabilities. We'll be free and rich.
I'll buy penthouses in New York, Paris, and Mumbai.
Maybe I'll hold a contest to help young writers.
Why is Uncle Boris so disrespectful to me?
I can't understand stupidity. I don't want to listen to you. And I won't.
You can talk all you want. I won't hear.
You're a big, immature boy. Though my brother.
You're like some cyborg from "Fallout".
- With that hearing aid, too. - These light bulbs.
They are a real cataclysm...
Danya! Sweetie! My little baby!
You sweet thing! Get up. Let's go.
My poor baby! Please get up! Let's go!
Let's go home. Don't leave me. Get up.
Get up. Please, get up.
My dear, get up. Let's go home.
Let's go, sweetie, I'll feed you.
Come on, darling, let's go. Please.
Let's go, baby. Danya... Danya!
Look, your feet are wet.
I wonder who designed this beautiful building.
Is that bag heavy? I'll put it in the car.
- It was a gift from Dad. - Sasha.
Just say thank you. And confirm that we'll sign and review everything
when we come into the inheritance.
I can't remember the name of this company Dad owned.
I should be ashamed, right?
- Uncle Boris. - I'm unhappy, too.
The Japanese are ready to buy the land.
They'll destroy the building to make it simple.
Let them make it simple. But it's a pity.
It seems broken and not broken. Dad liked it.
- Meet my wife, Angelica. - Angelica von Goering.
It's a contemporary building, isn't it?
I'm creative, too. A painter and photographer.
I follow the style of Caravaggio...
- Style of Brodsky and Caravaggio. - And Brodsky.
I see no artistic or functional value in this.
I am sorry about your loss...
But this is emotional to the point of bad taste.
What is the point then? Of course, it's sad...
You think it's important but it is not.
This building is just a monument to the ambitions of two follies.
That of the architects and of your father.
- It is sticking out. - Your nose is bleeding.
- It's ok. - Architecture must be functional.
Sasha!
- Let's have a school reunion. - Ok.
And forget about functionality.
When they stopped construction,
the architect wanted to set himself on fire.
But the wet matches didn't light. What a fool.
I am an expert and I always opposed this.
The architect was probably weird. Like all talented people.
Your father spent his huge fortune unwisely.
I want to build an animal shelter.
This blood is ridiculous. It must be the grief.
Uncle Boris. Let's not sell anything.
Let's just not do it.
I don't want to listen to you either.
(speaking Japanese)
We'll sign a contract in the near future.
(speaking Japanese)
Meet Alexandra Fyodorovna.
Panasonic-Kurosawa-harakiri-sushi!
You know, I'm thinking of becoming a writer.
I'll stroll down 5th Avenue and make up stories. Maybe sci-fi, or cyberpunk.
Have you read American Gods?
- Or I'll give grants to young writers. - Why New York?
Tolstoy didn't get his visa. They told him:
"No visa for you. We're waiting for Danya."
He stayed in Russia. Out of despair he wrote War and Peace. Did you read it?
It's an okay novel.
Nobody came. It's so sad.
We called so many people but no one came.
I opened my first factory.
- A factory. - You commoner.
The European social system has outlived itself. Capitalism must be capitalism.
Marry Sasha. Nobody else would marry her. She's too smart.
I'm not looking for an idiot.
I'll build a shelter. I don't know what kind. For the miserable.
Do you want to go to the river bank?
I'll show you a cool spot.
Remember you got scared of a hedgehog?
Let's go!
It's getting cold.
It's starting to snow.
Sasha!
This was all studios 25 years ago.
They were shut down.
People took all they could. Only statues were left.
I don't know anyone here, except for Lenin.
Winter's arrived.
It's cold. Let's go back home.
It's like Carthage or something...
These are some depressed statues.
Wait, here's an angry one.
And this one's happy.
My earring just sank.
In 1,000 years they'll find it.
Someone will write an article and get famous.
Then he'll have an affair with a grad student.
- Is it gold? - I don't wear gold. I don't like it.
It's cold here.
- Hello. - Hello.
I'm investigating a criminal case against your father.
He is accused of fraud under Article 159(4).
- Hello. - Hello.
I'm Chief Investigator Prokopov.
As part of an investigation of organized...
It feels awkward, of course, after this tragedy...
What a twist of fate, right?
You were so little the last time I saw you. And now look at you.
- Would you like some tea? - Yes, thank you.
Wonderful tea. English lords have it every day.
Dad was a good man. He built hospitals. Why is this happening?
You don't know a thing about his business?
You can read this. It has all the facts.
- What an interesting robot. - We're investigating.
- Your dad was almost a God. - The walls are damp.
Now's a different time. With different Gods. Ragnarok or something like that.
You think your father built hospitals...
But what if that never happened?
You see the situation in the world. It's almost war out there.
The light bulb again.
Nobody will defend you.
Maybe we can help. A friendly effort.
You have almost no time.
Nobody will defend you. On the contrary. Your Dad had many enemies.
If you have any info for me, just call.
Funny. An architect of that building wanted
to burn himself alive. But the matches were wet.
Everyone laughs at that for some reason.
Even if he wanted to do it, who cares?
Yesterday you said you'd freeze our accounts.
You left your number so I could call you.
You said nothing my Dad did ever happened.
But it really did. My brother and I remember. So it did happen.
Regarding the rest of it...
Dad did his best to atone for his sins.
He tried to come clean. Others never did.
I will not leave. And I will not sell anything.
Sasha!
Sasha.
It's all lies.
They did it on purpose. I don't believe it.
It's not true that Dad was a criminal.
You're right not to read it. Don't.
We'll leave. It'll all be in the past.
With no money. We'll rent a room in an attic.
I'll work, you'll study. Damn them all!
You're bleeding.
What attic room? How can we?
Tilt your head back. I'll bring a tissue.
I've been calling Uncle Boris.
Nobody's picking up.
Go to bed. You need some sleep.
- Our roof is leaking. - There's a noise outside.
A noise right outside the window.
Like some adversary is walking around.
You just sleep.
Hi, statue.
Are you lonely, too?
Allez, hop!
Chapter 3. Long Dreams of a Real Estate Lawyer
Why do I keep having dreams about my past?
The CT and MRI don't show anything, Marat.
I'm not sure what's causing your weakness.
There is no intracranial hematoma.
Why the headaches? It just happens.
Why do I keep having the same dreams?
- About my youth. - Sorry.
- About a city that doesn't exist. - Yes?
And a world that doesn't exist.
It's nonsense.
I'm fine.
Except for these dreams.
Why the nosebleeds?
By 1993 the Soviet republics will have stable economic growth.
Two months ago, in November 1991,
we created a program and called for a national discussion.
If those initiatives had been implemented...
Marat!
...we would have avoided the tragedy.
Marat, I bought this rare book for you.
Printed in Finland.
- It's a very useful book. - Thank you.
They will arrest Gorbachev and execute millions.
It will rot for 20 years. Think about our boy.
If a civil war starts, nobody will have time to leave.
The supermarkets are empty. No food.
Will you forget about it? Who needs you there, in emigration?
You'll teach math at school.
Mom, can I go see Andrey?
No. You have to study for your entrance exams.
Are you going to emigrate?
Nothing will happen. Go with me to America!
No. Anywhere but America!
- You'll regret it. - I don't think so.
- Look, I've got a terrible headache. - Really?
I've got a lighter for you.
No chance to play, eh?
Smells like something is burning.
Hello.
- Hi, Marat. - Hey there.
Elly, stay! What is this?
Grandma gave me this book. Don't know why. It's useless.
- Someone leaving again? - Yes, moving somewhere.
Did you steal this in your mom's kitchen?
Elly, let's go!
- Looks like that movie spy. - You idiot!
I was trying to paint an icon. It's called "Archangel Michael".
Elly, heel!
It still looks like that guy.
- Elly! - Hey, Big!
Hi, guys! I just busted my pants. Stupid.
David got this new gum from Japan.
- It's safe to swallow. - No way.
Nice job on the painting. It looks a bit like the guy in that spy movie.
It doesn't.
- Come with me? - I have a German lesson now, I can't.
Are your parents planning to emigrate?
I am a terminator robot. Connection lost.
You're short-circuiting.
Let's go, Elly!
Elly, stay!
Elly...
Will you buy the book? Grandma gave it to me.
Sure, why not?
- Do you have the second Tolkien book? - Not yet.
- But you said it's coming out soon. - Not yet.
I have Heinlein and Burroughs. And Chronicles of Amber by Zelazny.
Lots of new books come out every day. We didn't have them before the Perestroika.
- Do you have anything like Tolkien? - Not here. I have Harry Harrison.
- I can bring it if you want. - Please do.
- Do you have Simenon? - I'll go get it.
- Are you looking for Simenon, too? - No.
Are you Armenian or Jewish?
You're not answering.
What are you?
Me?
I am an elf.
You don't look like an elf. More like a Jew.
Elves live in the Baltic States. My friend from Tallinn is an elf.
Sorry I took you for a Jew.
I don't have anything against elves. They're a respected people.
We try not to interact with Jews.
- So we live in forests. - Forests where?
Here. It's Harry Harrison.
- What about Simenon? - Here's a Simenon.
- Thank you! - You're welcome.
So no Jews in your family?
Your mom's an elf, ok, what about your dad?
M. GORBACHEV: Dear compatriots, fellow citizens!
Due to the situation which has evolved
with the Commonwealth of Independent States,
I discontinue my work as President of the USSR.
I make this decision based on principle.
I firmly came out in favor of the independence
of nations and sovereignty of republics.
I support the preservation of the union
and the integrity of this country.
Developments took a different course.
The policy prevailed
of dismembering the country and the state,
which I cannot subscribe to.
After the Alma-Ata meeting and its decisions,
my position did not change.
Besides, it is my conviction...
Elly, let's go.
The dog's so restless today.
- Who's this? - This is my wife.
See how everything is 25 years later. The country's changed.
I'm married. No kids, though.
What about me? And Big?
You were murdered in '95. For no reason. Then your mother died.
Big went to Germany.
I register properties for construction.
I worked for a rich man for a while. Then I left. The man died.
We were so nice.
Actually...
Keep coming back, Marat. Nobody else sees me in their dreams.
Nobody remembers me.
Let's go, Elly.
Marat!
I'm coming.
Elly, stop.
But I see you in my dreams.
I come back here every night.
Chapter 4. Site for Development. 2011
Nikolay Mikhailovich!
There's no power again.
- There was a storm last night. - Ok. Summer is over.
Something's wrong all over the world. Ho Chi Minh City is flooded.
Blogs say animals in the zoos are dying. The authorities say nothing.
Last year, despite snowstorms,
I prevented seven museum break-ins.
- That makes me proud. - Good job. You can be proud.
Lately I've been feeling tiny.
Like I'm on my own palm, staring up.
Maybe it's your pancreas.
- Do you like it? - I don't like your dissertation.
Speculating on historical cycles.
You're a great scholar and culture expert.
But you never reviewed it over the last year.
The region gives out a single grant.
We might not get it. The efforts will be wasted.
Why do you always see the bad side of things?
I want what's best. If you hate being a guide
why did you learn all those languages? I always wanted to work with tourists.
By the way, I've been thinking about Chatsky, Onegin, Pechorin...
They are all an artistic exaggeration,
- fictional characters, right? - Sure.
(speaking a foreign language)
Hi, girls. They brought a Chinese group.
They promised a Japanese group from Okinawa.
Will we manage? See you at lunch then.
(speaking Chinese) Hello. My name is Nikolay.
I will tell you a story about this estate.
Before going inside, I wanted to tell you about this park.
- What do you want? - Do you work in the circus?
No, I have a PhD.
Go!
Above the window is the moon,
And under it is the wind.
The silver poplar lost its leaves
It's standing bare and light
Two hundred years ago you'd call me "Master".
And you'd sing the Beatles at sunrise. Here you go.
Hey, you should subscribe to my blog. I have a YouTube channel, too.
Have you ever felt tiny? Like you can fit on your own palm?
You just sit there, this small.
The Chinese don't buy anything.
I know. They promised Japanese from Okinawa.
The Japanese always buy everything.
I want to buy a laptop. The latest 3D one.
The bank won't give me a loan. I don't have enough cash.
Why do we always talk about money?
Let's chat after work. And take the interest.
- Tonight? - Yes.
Thanks!
Got a smoke?
Is it interesting, driving a bus? Taking people back and forth?
It is. You're responsible for people, for their lives.
Thank you!
Ah, the roads here. Impossible to drive.
Yes. And no way to know where that veranda is.
Do you know the veranda of the country club?
I don't know, sorry.
This fog is so weird. Looks like a cloud.
- What time is it now? - What?
- Do you know what time it is now? - No, I don't. But it's late already.
The wheel is stuck, we can't get by.
Let's give it a push.
Can you show us the way to the restaurant?
I don't know. I'm sorry.
Do you work at the museum?
Yes. I explore Malevich and Petrov-Vodkin. Bathing of the Red Horse.
- I don't know why. - But it's really very interesting.
It is.
You're so real.
It's a good thing the road is bad here.
Our city's big and comfortable. But we don't talk. They just play marches.
I'm not real. I'm very ordinary. By the way, Malevich was a petty clerk.
Then he quit everything and started a new life. I'm sorry.
Will you come to the restaurant with us?
Let's go!
- We'll talk about Malevich. - Thank you.
- But I have a crazy day. - Are you sure?
I've got tons to do tonight. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you.
I got something in the dissertation. But I can't nail it yet.
- But who needs it? - I do.
You live this petty life.
You ask people for money, you bow to everyone.
In a forest full of jackals I've been appointed head mole or something.
Come on! it's true! Hello!
Don't you recognize old friends? How are you? Everything ok? Bye!
Listen, I want to buy a laptop.
Latest model, 3D image.
But I don't have enough cash. Can you lend me at least some of it?
- Of course, I will. - Really? Thanks!
- They can't really speak English. - Of course. But we were taught right.
We speak better than they do.
You got some dirt here.
- Can I see you for a second, Nikolay? - Sure. I'll be right back.
How can I help you?
I want to introduce you.
- This is a wonderful reporter. - Nice to meet you.
- I'm Nikolay. - And this is our hero.
20 years ago he threw himself under a tank
to stop the Putsch at the White House.
He's a great scholar. He speaks Spanish,
- Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean. - Oh, stop.
- And other languages. - Thank you.
Nikolay Mikhailovich!
In 1991, you defended the White House.
- Yes, I did. - Together with Yeltsin,
you fought against the reaction,
you covered a thousand miles to come to Moscow.
You were an example for many...
Let's go!
And now you fight for this historical meadow.
- Why? - Back in 1991 I...
I went there because it was a different time.
I wanted to change something. I believed.
So much time has passed. I don't remember.
Maybe I just went because my friends did.
- Are you defending your museum? - Of course!
My colleagues and I will defend it. Sure.
- Thank you. - You're welcome.
We are here in this old field. They want to put up new buildings here.
We have to fight so we don't regret it later.
We will go as far as a strike. Maybe even a hunger strike.
- I agree. - It's hard.
Thank you. I knew it.
You have never let me down. We must do it.
You can lean only on something that resists.
Have you seen young people driving sports cars?
Did they go by here?
- No, we haven't. - Thanks.
These roads...
Do you work in culture or in services?
I'm a guaguero. It's "a bus driver" in Spanish.
That's a respectable job for a man. I like it.
- Have you ever tried anything else? - No.
- You didn't want to? - No.
You don't look like a bus driver. Are you lying?
I never lie.
This is a beautiful Brazilian song...
You see. Malevich. Petrov-Vodkin.
Bathing of the Red Horse.
There's this keen finesse.
This perfection.
The Japanese from Okinawa came yesterday.
They commended me. In Japanese.
Why am I the only one wearing the uniform here?
Stop mocking me. I really love you.
We'll live together and work in our museum.
We'll tell people stories about the past.
Wonderful stories. Right?
There will be a big construction site here. The city needs to grow.
One of you can be the new museum director.
We need someone creative.
Last year, despite snowstorms, I stopped seven museum break-ins.
That makes me proud.
The director is retiring.
Our region doesn't need conflicts right now.
So I hope we can work together to take our museum to the next level.
- Thank you. - You're welcome.
Shame on you!
What are you doing?
You know you can't build anything here!
Why do all of you stand by them?
I don't understand. Look at yourselves.
You're so pathetic.
We are the ones who try to save something. Not them.
She's so wound-up today.
I'm tiny as a molecule now. I swear.
Please, don't. Don't do it.
I am begging you.
You will lose your job. Please, don't do it.
You're all so tiny, so pathetic.
And I'm as small as a tiny molecule.
A tiny molecule.
But I am a hussar, after all.
Please, don't. It's all fiction. You can't even ride a horse.
Please, don't.
I stand by you.
Gleb, why do you need a tablet? What do you want to find in the Internet?
I'm studying lives. Looking at pages and people.
Chapter 5. The Hostage
Hey, Gleb. Sveta's gone. Everyone's looking for her.
Do you know her?
Some people are genetically inclined
to a complicated view of reality. The AD gene...
Wow!
The sky over the city is so strange today. It's electric.
I hear the snow will stick this time.
Hey, stop torturing yourself.
Oh, and happy birthday.
Here's a present for you. It wasn't cheap.
Happy Birthday, Valya!
- You desk jockey. - Crackhead!
- Hi there! - Hi. You came here again.
Why the glasses? Is the sun too bright?
You sold out but that never changed the sky.
- Credit cowboys. - Crackhead!
Piss off, bitch!
What's up? Valya!
What are you doing? Come on!
You idiot.
Let's go.
So the ADRA2b gene can seriously affect your perception of the world.
Where's Sveta?!
- Who took Sveta? - Where's Sveta?
Where's Sveta?
Crackheads! Faggots!
- Do you know this Sveta? - No, I don't.
- I won't let you go. - I think she's blond.
About 13 years old. Or not.
Hey, I can't find north. It says I need to make a figure eight.
I can't find north. Do you know where it is? Why do I need it?
We defend Sveta, harsh and ruthless. Even bleed.
I don't know where north is. I only know south.
Geography...
Hemisphere, heroin.
Heraldics. All start with H. Any connection?
Valya, do you know where north is? Show me.
Do you know Sveta?
Valya, wait!
Was your family killed by a missile in Ukraine?
Valya!
I'm Skyping with a friend.
Save me.
Why is this broken laptop here again?
Do you want some pastries?
It's the drugs. I never see anyone in my dreams.
Only our old dog.
I called them and said we're coming for Sveta.
Such insolent bastards.
Laughing at us.
They want money for her. They said we have to pay off the debt.
Sveta is an idiot.
It's her own fault they caught her.
She is an idiot. Piece of crap.
She is an idiot. I don't have any money.
How can I go to the police? Do I need this?
She's 12, she's all grown up.
Stupid. Isn't she?
My sister is stupid.
Stupid piece of crap.
She's on her own.
It's her own fault. Nobody'll pay money for her.
I've got no money. My sister's stupid.
Where are you going?
You'll get killed there.
You hear me?
You'll get killed.
Your whole family's dead. You don't have anyone else there.
You...
You'll just get killed.
You're just a small broken person.
Do you want me to go with you? Do you?
Give me a minute.
Let's get the girl back.
I'll kill you if you run away again.
(speaks a foreign language)
Did you come alone?
Your head is messed up.
(speaks a foreign language)
Easy, easy, easy!
There's blood on my pants. So what, so we killed him.
So much blood.
- Who cares about drug addicts? - What time is it?
Chapter 6. The Architect
We probably didn't become Corbusier. So what?
Funny, but I'm proud to be Honorary Architect.
So what if I build parking lots?
- You're divorced. So what? - It's funny.
There's an ache in my chest that won't stop. And then it's gone.
- Hello. - Hi.
I've been looking for you for a month.
Someone wants an architect to build a Moresque style house.
With columns and a fountain.
We can pay off our debts. But we'll need to work round the clock.
And you throw fits for the world? What for?
You know about Peter Pan syndrome?
Being scared of growing up.
- You should go back to your family. - Nonsense.
It's our life, it destroys neurons. Here, see?
Tell me, pal, will we go to war?
Yes.
You're wrong.
Remember my birthday?
It'll be fun. Like in 5th or 6th grade.
- Dad, why are you crying? - I'm not crying.
Some bastards recently attacked Dad.
- They took his watch. - You can't say "bastards".
Your Dad's not crying. Your Dad's a lion!
Go, I'll be right there.
You'll trick me with work again. And I'm tired of living in debt.
I'm tired of hearing I'm a dwarf.
Unlike you, I bravely face life.
I'm not so immature. Tomorrow at 5.
Did I tell you that every night I see the sun exploding in my dream?
Strange, right?
I bought a gun. And six bullets.
You know that the guy who commissioned our unfinished building has died?
So they don't complete our project, who cares?
See how they fixed my nose? A Dr. Ho in Southeast Asia. See.
The new implants are brilliant.
I hear Chinese implants have everything in them.
Hair dryer, microwave oven.
Even a toaster.
But rumor has it they're not too reliable.
They spark.
See how they fixed my nose?
No? Ok.
Dr. Ho?
- No? - Definitely not.
Too bad.
Are you sure you don't know Dr. Ho? Because...
- No? - I don't know him.
That's strange.
Oh yes.
It's about to snow.
Can you believe Paul lost his tablet?
So he lost it.
Are you an elf? The elves gather down there.
But they are always late.
Have you seen my black tablet? I can't find it.
I will have to buy a new one. That one was mint.
- Maybe you forgot it on the train. - Maybe.
Hello.
Hi.
- So are you an elf? - How can I be an elf?
Elves are eternal, and I'm fussy.
There you are again.
- Are you coming? - We're about to start a game.
Today's probably the last time for me, though.
- You're here for no reason? - Yes. For no reason.
Today is an awesome day. I can't figure out why.
Elf?
Strange. I know this is all just childish games.
Still, I don't trust elves.
I don't like them.
Even though it's just a game.
The world is really so complicated. Who are we, who am I?
Everything's mixed up.
Past and future. Real and fictional.
People are so different. Or maybe it's my age. The awkward age.
- Let me try. - Go ahead!
The Orcs are stronger anyway.
Let's go, hurry up.
Move on! Quick!
- In 20 years... - The weather's so apocalyptic.
...the climate here will be tropical.
Excuse me. Give me a ride to that corner.
I've never ridden a scooter in my life.
- You're lying. - Honestly.
- Get on. - Thank you.
This was all studios of artists a while ago.
I don't remember exactly where. There...
It's so funny. The same bio-design everywhere.
It was different before.
Now books are the same, and these billboards.
I hate chain food joints.
Post-modernism. Unification, globalization...
- It broke down. - What is it?
It keeps breaking down. So stupid.
- What can I do? - Give it a push.
Okay, sure.
Bang!
Turn around, please.
Yay!
Why do you live here instead of at home?
I just do.
I like living like this.
How old are you?
25.
You're lying. You're actually old.
Zoya?
That sure was a lie. But a talented one. A competent, skilled lie.
Zoya?
Do you have tea?
Yes, just a moment.
So which do you prefer: Coke or Pepsi?
I mean, which do you support?
- Did you draw this? - No.
I don't know. I buy Coke more often.
But Pepsi somehow seems nicer.
Zoya, are you in the bathroom?
- What's this book? - It's by Sosnovsky. A philosopher.
He writes that things were good under Stalin.
That Hitler wasn't the monster everyone says.
- Zoya, have you seen the teapot? - No.
It's fairly convincing.
- Good morning. - Did they have Coke in the USSR?
Nope.
You seem to be a modern person. Right?
Do you remember what year Lenin died?
And who's Kamenev?
And Solzhenitsyn - do you know who he was?
Hey!
You're the one who's old. You remember all that.
The past is gone. We can build a new world.
We just need to get rid of all the dead weight.
And I do know about Solzhenitsyn.
Come with me. I'll show you what I can do.
Don't say that.
Your Sosnovsky is an idiot.
And are you sure your future will be better?
Don't be scared! Come here!
- Come on! - I'm not scared.
Come on.
Go ahead, come here!
It's too bad. It's a beautiful building.
The man died. And the heirs don't care about it.
You're tense, let me release the tension.
He did all he could to support you.
Nobody believed in this building, but he did.
He said it'll be architecture for life.
They'll sell or rebuild it.
The buyers did a study. Young pros and seniors didn't like it.
We need to build a cupola or a spire.
Why are you telling him about the cupola?
Get in the car, please.
Peter.
I'm unhappy too. Do you want me to kneel?
Your friend at least asked for money.
- My birthday's coming up. - What?
You should come. It'll be fun.
I've been promised polyglot penguins.
- I'll give you a ride. - No, thanks.
- Thank you. Good bye. - Good bye.
- Give me the reading. - 38 points.
(speaking Japanese)
Wait! You see that building?
You think it needs a spire or a cupola?
It needs columns or marble. I don't know.
Thank you.
I hear one of the architects went crazy.
Funny. An architect of that building wanted
to burn himself alive. But the matches were wet.
Everyone laughs at that for some reason.
Even if he wanted to do it, who cares?
- Is something wrong? - I had a dream. A scary one.
About the end of the world. So now I'm sad.
I just saw this film about diseases. Now I don't eat tomatoes.
- What do you do? - I'm an architect.
Incredibly trendy. But meaningless.
I position bathtubs and sinks in space and time.
I combine bidets and toilets.
- That's what I do for a living. - What's a bidet?
I don't know. I don't know anything at all.
Come to my birthday party.
In a week. Would you like to? Here's an invitation.
It'll be fun. We'll have exotic dancing.
A hyena from the Galapagos Islands. Lots of things.
Stravinsky, Schnittke and Metallica.
- Thank you. - You're welcome.
- Thank you. - That's it.
Artyom.
What are you doing here?
- Where's your father? - Mom left long ago.
I don't' know where. Dad couldn't fall asleep for a long time.
Then he went for a walk. I told him there were bastards out there.
- But he said it didn't matter. - Where did he go?
I don't know.
I'll go find your dad.
But you go to sleep. Okay? Let's go home!
Come on.
Karim! Karim!
(speaking a foreign language)
Karim!
Sorry, pal, I forgot we had an agreement.
Do you know they'll re-do our building soon?
- I know. - They'll probably demolish it.
They built a new store, see?
I designed the parking structure. It's shit.
- Give me the gun. Give it here. - I'm out of bullets.
We had great art and science.
People fought, aspired, made sacrifices.
We were taught to learn from their examples. What for?
Isn't it incredibly funny?
There was this whole world, and now it's gone.
There's nothing left.
- Let's go home. - I wanted to tell you something.
I don't want to feel like a dwarf.
I'm a titan.
I lost my wallet.
How was my shooting? Great, right?
Really great.
(speaking a foreign language)
(reciting a poem) Farewell then, sea! I won't forget
Your beauty full of solemn power;
Long will I be hearing yet Your rumble at an evening hour
To silent wilderness, to groves I'll carry over, filled with you,
- Your crags and waves... - I don't believe it.
What you are saying is just propaganda.
The number of Stalin's victims is exaggerated.
Nobody would put people in prison for no reason. Especially kids.
They must have been guilty.
I'll call you tonight.
- Hi! - Hi, guys!
- You seem cheerful. - You've lost weight.
I'm glad to see you.
- We'll go look at camels. - You have a nice son.
Thank you.
You know, it's probably time for bed.
- Where's Mom? - She'll be home in 2 days.
And where's Dad?
Thanks.
Thanks. I'm trying.
Yes, birthdays are great.
It's all set and ready.
I'm downtown, there's tons of traffic here.
Start toasting to me.
It's you.
We never finished our conversation.
Remember the building we never got to finish?
They're going to demolish it.
I'm sorry, pal.
I'm so confused.
First you grow up. Then you buy something cheaper. Then...
Then something larger and more expensive.
Then the really expensive stuff.
Then you get old. Your children grow up and repeat the cycle.
The same books,
same houses, same food.
Even the things I say are the same.
I want to disappear from the world.
To sail away, to leave.
It's so stupid.
No point in anything.
I remember the hall in my old apartment.
I was little. The new world was ahead.
Now that apartment is gone.
Everything is gone.
What can I say?
I can't help you.
I'm dead.
I lost my scarf.
This scarf is mine.
Come with us.
- It'll be fun. - Thank you!
I brought a musician. Virtuoso accordion player.
But he's already drunk. He's my friend.
Do you know that Mickey Rourke's dog is dead?
I wrote a poem.
Mickey Rourke's dog is gone I'm sadly just walking on
And my arms are on my coat front
- How's that? - You're no Brodsky.
But it's touching, about the dog.
New Zealand tango. From Port Brisbane.
- Are you crying? - No.
It's just that you're at that age, a very nervous age.
You want something, you get anxious, but then it all passes.
I know this great joint nearby. A really great one.
You've just gotten older.
I bought a fast car.
It's surreally beautiful.
It will work out for you. You need to believe.
You're the same. It's good.
So don't be upset. The world's just complicated. There's this poem.
I lay thinking how diverse this world is I reasoned: even if we pay attention
We learn about big or small events By accident, if we do at all.
Let's go, we have a bit of youth left.
Chapter 7. The Landlady
I don't get it. Why did you buy these statues?
They speak the language of emotions.
If the artist wanted to say something about the complexity of the world
he needs some kind of an intellectual context.
The same is true of your dad's building.
Please support the decision to build the cupola.
I canceled it. No cupola, no spire.
- Hello, Alexandra Fyodorovna. - Hi.
There is some irony, some play in it.
You should do things not because they're right or need to be done.
But because you can't live any other way.
You can't waste money. Everyone is laughing.
There's nobody like you in the city.
- Stop talking nonsense. - What nonsense?
- You know... What cupola? What spire? - We had to sell this unfinished building.
Why would a young girl run these companies?
- She could just leave Russia. - She does as she wishes.
- Are you waiting for someone? - No. I thought I saw someone I knew.
Hello, Alexandra Fyodorovna.
This is Snezhana. Let's go.
Wait, I'll be there in a sec.
- Hi. - Hello. Is something wrong?
I keep thinking about something.
I think not many people are capable of pure love.
What most people call love is not love at all.
It's just conquering your loneliness and fear, looking for comfort.
But real love almost never exists, right?
I don't know. Snezhana and I are okay. And Edik with Marina.
It's a pity the exhibition is over.
Do you know everyone is laughing at us?
Alexandra Fyodorovna? They say it will be cold in spring.
- Are you cold? - No.
- Hi. What's your name? - Sveta. Some people call me Svetka.
But I think it's insulting.
- Why are you alone? - People aren't worth much.
There was one good person, but he got killed.
- Why are you alone? - I ran away from them.
I'm looking for a new life.
Come on, let's go.
- Can I help you? - Need help?
No, I'm fine. I like doing this. Allez-hop!
Look at me walking the horse.
- The summer will come soon. - They'll build all of it soon then.
A new life is good. I'm starting one, too.
Let me help you.
- Is it too heavy? - No.
I escaped anyway. My brother abandoned me.
The wind has stopped.
Special thanks to Alexei Kudrin
Produced by Artem Vasilyev, Andrey Saveliev, and Rushan Nasibulin
Sergey Antonov, Egor Olesov, Dariusz Jablonski
Co-produced by lzabela Wojcik, Violetta Kaminska, and Krzysztof Zanussi
Written and directed by Alexey German, Jr
Senior Art Director Elena Okopnaya
Directors of Photography Evgeniy Privin, Sergey Michalchuk
Edited by Sergey Ivanov