An old playwright wants to die. A porter needs cash. The catch? They have one week.
A long-time guest of a respectable hotel, an elderly lonely playwright, famous in the past, now left without a job and without funds, is ready to pass away. He signs a contract with a young hotel porter, who, for a large sum within a week, unexpectedly for the customer, has to help him with this.
Acting
Shifrin and Sukhanov's devastating two-man psychological warfare.
Writing
Dialogue that weaponizes politeness and desperation.
Director
Vladimir Mirzoev
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Mirzoev's film emerged during a wave of Russian cinema grappling with post-Soviet mortality and the collapse of cultural institutions that once elevated artists like the protagonist.
Efim Shifrin was primarily known as a comedian and variety performer; this dramatic role was a deliberate career pivot that shocked Russian audiences expecting his usual persona.
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