Arkadi Stavitsky

The action takes place in Odessa in the 1970s. Rosa, an Odessa woman, a mother and the head of the household, says goodbye to the Courtyard where her entire life unfolded, because her sons have decided to emigrate to Israel and take the elderly parents — her mother and father — with them. A staunch patriot and war veteran, Semen Margolin is ready to curse his children for such a betrayal, but with the help of his mother Rosa, he is somehow persuaded to make the move.

The new secretary of the NPP party committee is fighting against high results' progress in equipment operation.

The film comprises four novellas: (1) “From Boredom”. A wealthy matron, bored with life, embarks on a romance with her children’s romantic tutor. (2) “Nerves”. Haunted by tales of the supernatural, Vak­s­in can’t sleep and is found in the morning napping on the governess’s chest. (3) “The Avenger”. A husband plans to kill his unfaithful wife but abandons the plot when he dreads the punishment to come. (4) “The Proposal”. A tragicomic matchmaking tale of landowner Lomov wooing his neighbor’s daughter.