In the course of a routine pipe replacement in an unnamed Russian town, honest plumber Dima (Artyom Bystrov) discovers a fissure in the foundation of an apartment building. Investigating further, he is appalled to find that the crack extends all the way to the top floor. He does some calculations about the building’s strength, only to realize that the whole thing could come down upon the 800 residents within 24 hours. Determined to get city officials to, at the very least, evacuate, he confronts Mayor Nina Galaganova (Natalya Surkova) at her 50th birthday party. She and her equally well-to-do cronies immediately begin looking for ways to shift responsibility onto other, less well-dressed, shoulders…
Writer-director-editor-composer Yuriy Bykov’s (The Major – JDIFF 2014) electrically paced, wonderfully written and flawlessly performed drama is both a brilliant metaphor for the state of Russian society and a crackling entertainment. Unmissable.
Vancouver International Film Festival
There will be a second screening on Tues 24 March at 6.30pm at Movies@Dundrum.
Please note that the festival is over 18s only
