Secondary school students play a 'practical joke' on their teacher: on midterms day, they claim she told them the wrong date. She almost believes them, but an honest classmate ruins their fun... and now they want revenge.
Acting
Kharatyan's devilish charisma carries every scheme
Direction
Menshov captures classroom power dynamics perfectly
Production
Authentic 1970s Soviet school atmosphere
Director
Vladimir Menshov
Dmitriy Kharatyan
Igor Grushko
Yevgeniya Khanayeva
Mariya Vasilyevna Devyatova
Natalya Fateyeva
Kaleriya Georgiyevna
Natalya Vavilova
Taya Petrova
Andrei Gusev
Oleg Komarovsky
Evdokiya Germanova
Dasha Rozanova
Zinoviy Gerdt
Karl Sigizmundovich
Pavel Vinnik
Semyon Semyonovich
Muza Krepkogorskaya
Rufina Andreyevna
Oleg Tabakov
Komarovsky's father
Vladimir Menshov
Vladimir Valentinovich (swimming coach) (uncredited)
Garri Bardin
French language teacher
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was Menshov's directorial debut before his Oscar-winning 'Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears.' Soviet school films rarely showed students as active antagonists.
The 'wrong date' prank was based on real 1960s school folklore; Menshov interviewed actual teachers who'd fallen for it.
SU
