A birthday gift that keeps on taking—16 minutes of parental regret you can't unsee.
On his son's birthday, Kolya gives an unexpected and strange gift, which becomes fateful in the child's life.
Acting
Abashin's silence screams louder than any dialogue could.
Direction
Azhnakina turns a yard into a graveyard of intention.
Director
Olga Azhnakina
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The apple tree carries heavy symbolism in Russian literature—Turgenev's Fathers and Sons, Chekhov's cherry orchards—here it's weaponized nostalgia.
Ivan and Fyodor Dobronravov are real-life brothers; their casting adds unspoken tension to the father-son dynamic.
RU
