Vladimir Ustyugov

Zhuki

Pioneer Heroes

Olga, Katya, and Andrey have known each other since childhood. They moved to Moscow many years ago and have become successful. Olga is an actress, Katya works for a large-scale PR agency, and Andrey is a political analyst. They buy cars, take mortgages, build country houses. Just like everybody else. But their lives bring them neither happiness nor content. The feeling of "something's not right but I can't put my finger on it" underpins the lives of today's thirty-year-olds. Their childhood took place during the Soviet era, when kids dreamed of becoming heroes, believed in spy stories and a bright future. Yet nobody expected that the dream of becoming a hero would be replaced by the dream of stable and predictable existence. People have stopped dreaming of truly grand things. They just play their roles.

Our Only Hope

Old miner is trying to start a new life after the deathly accident in the mine.

Fatherland

Anton Ebergard, a journalist famous for his cutting exposes on dirty public officials, is falling on hard times. His new book’s selling poorly; he was thrown out of his job in a prestigious newspaper. Anton’s daughter takes part in street protests and ends up behind bars. Money’s scarce: the bank is pressuring Anton who’s behind on his mortgage payments. To get a job as a publicity officer at a city council Anton has to go against his convictions. He warns the corrupt Mayor that the law enforcement’s planning to catch him red-handed when taking a bribe.