What if Rocky, but make it badminton and deeply unserious?
The film is a satire on the clichés used in sports dramas. Tennisov, a top badminton player, loses in the World Championship final because he decided to use a previously unbeatable shot, the "Unbreakable Candle." Tennisov retires from the sport, but unexpectedly gets a second chance a year later. His former coach invites him to play doubles with the young player Dmitry Malikov at the World Championship.
Writing
Ruthless deconstruction of every training montage cliché imaginable.
Acting
Viktor Verzhbitskiy somehow makes badminton feel like Shakespearean tragedy.
Director
Aleksey Polyakov
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Directors Polyakov and Petrov also star in their own film, because apparently no one else understood the vision.
Russian sports cinema has historically worshipped hockey and boxing; this feels like a deliberate middle finger to that tradition.
RU
