Early autumn, godforsaken Russian countryside. A local hunter Michail witnesses a skirmish in the middle of the forest - three men want to kill the forth, Andrey. Kind-hearted Michail helps Andrey escape and together they run from the villains who chase them. Thus, two totally different men start a long and dangerous journey together, constantly arguing with each other regarding their ideology, morals and opinions about life. But life will put everything on its place and make the men understand who they really are.
Direction
Bykov's claustrophobic forest becomes a moral pressure cooker.
Acting
Belyayev and Shvedov weaponize every weary glance.
Editing
74 minutes that feel like a lifetime—no fat, all dread.
Director
Yury Bykov
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Bykov emerged from Russia's 'new wave' of working-class cinema, rejecting glossy oligarch fantasies for provincial desperation. This film predates his international breakthrough The Fool by four years.
The 74-minute runtime wasn't artistic choice—it was budget necessity. Bykov allegedly rewrote scenes nightly based on which actors showed up and what locations hadn't flooded.
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