Russian hillbillies running a moonshine empire on barter economy—what could go wrong?
The main characters are ordinary 30-year-old men who live in an ordinary Russian village, where it is always bad to work, where there is always no money, where they drive moonshine, for which they pay with food or firewood. They did not study at institutes, do not speak foreign languages, do not understand politics and consider the words “Internet” and “glamor” as curses. For such words, they can give in the face. They see life mainly on the TV screen. Yes and that - black and white.
Acting
Cast commits fully to degenerate man-child energy
Production
Authentic rotting-village aesthetic, zero glamour
Writing
Dialogue so raw it feels illegally recorded
Director
Anton Bormatov
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Post-Soviet 'dacha cinema' emerged in 2000s Russia, documenting rural collapse with dark humor. This sits in that tradition.
Director Bormatov shot in actual dying villages; some 'extras' were locals paid in—you guessed it—moonshine.
RU
