Katya and her 6-year-old son Sanya, who, in 1952, meet a veteran Soviet officer named Tolyan. Katya falls in love with Tolyan, who turns out to be a small time criminal, but who also becomes a father figure to Sanya ...
Acting
Vladimir Mashkov's Tolyan — charming, terrifying, unforgettable.
Cinematography
Bleached Soviet palette that haunts long after credits.
Direction
Chukhray balances warmth and dread in every frame.
Director
Pavel Chukhray
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Vladimir Mashkov based Tolyan's swagger on his own father, a military pilot — the charm and the cruelty both.
The film was Russia's Oscar submission in 1997; its unflinching portrait of post-Stalin poverty was controversial at home.
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