A funny story about a middle-aged man who ran into a store, bought two pies and ate them while standing in line. When it was his turn to pay, he got into trouble - no one had seen how many pies he had eaten. The head of the section invites the customer to go to the head of the department, and the latter, in turn, addresses the store director. The director suggests that the customer wait until the store closes, when the goods will be removed.
Acting
Rostislav Plyatt's escalating desperation as Filonov.
Direction
Abalov and Trakhtenberg squeeze maximum tension from a single location.
Director
Eduard Abalov
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This short captures the quintessential Soviet retail experience: shortages, queues, and suspicion. The pie becomes a metaphor for scarcity economics where every transaction is interrogated.
Rostislav Plyatt was already a beloved comedy star when he took this role; his performance helped elevate a simple anecdote into biting social commentary that still resonates in post-Soviet spaces.
SU
