Valentina Kovel

Energetic People

The heroes of Shukshin's play are indeed energetic people in the full sense of the word. Jacks of all trades, quick-witted and dishonest, grabbers and thieves, who can be called businessmen of the era of socialism, for whom there was no use for their practical acumen and intelligence. Tovstonogov and the actors breathed true life into these characters.

Heart of a Dog

"Heart of a Dog" is a Soviet film adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov’s iconic novella. Set in 1920s Moscow, it tells the satirical and darkly humorous story of a stray dog named Sharik, who is transformed into a human by Professor Preobrazhensky through a daring medical experiment. The resulting man, Poligraf Poligrafovich Sharikov, embodies the social and ideological tensions of early Soviet society. With its sharp critique of class struggle, human nature, and the perils of radical change, the film is celebrated for its faithful adaptation, brilliant performances, and rich allegorical depth.

Maigret and the Man on the Bench

Russian Symphony

The protagonist finds out that some children were left behind in a sinking school, and is slowly driven mad as he tries to save them. A parable on the theme of the Last Judgment, numerous catastrophic events reveal a certain ambiguity in their origins, accompanied by the terrible suspicion that the things going on are some kind of a performance or theatrical production.

In Broad Daylight

A group of friends, including Mukhin, a furniture factory worker, with his wife and son, go out on a day off. There are four drunk young men in the neighborhood. They pester vacationers and start a fight. They are rebuffed only by Mukhin. Protecting his wife and child, he hit the leader of a hooligan gang. Death was instantaneous. The rowdies turn out to be locals. They pretend to be victims, blaming the "tourists" from the city.

The Highway

The film takes place during one day of operation of a railway line, the capacity of which is lower than necessary. A disaster occurs: a passenger train crashes into a tank train, the driver's assistant is killed, and traffic on the section is delayed. The film explores the patterns that led to the accident.

Born of Revolution

About the struggle between criminal investigators and the criminal world. Based on real events and documents, the film recreates the atmosphere of 1920s Russia, which was swept by a wave of violence... At the heart of the story is the fate and career of a young man who, together with his comrades, is about to make history in Soviet criminal investigation...

I Wish to Speak

The mayor of a village sees her son killed in a gun accident. A successful, dedicated bureuacrat, she must reconcile her desire to build a bridge - and the new housing that will come with it - with the reality of resistance from the townspeople and her own grief.

The Green Carriage

Inspired by the life of Varvara Asenkova, a 19th-century actress who earned great acclaim on St. Petersburg stage before her death at the age of 24.

Three Times About Love

Former soldier returns to his village only to discover that his girlfriend married another man.