Elizaveta Popova

Because sometimes you just need to laugh for no reason...

After her parents’ divorce, six-year-old Vladlena moves from Crimea to Grozny, not yet aware of the changes that lie ahead. When war breaks out in Chechnya, it deeply affects her city and family. Years later, filmmaker Sandu reflects on her childhood in this poetic, autobiographical hybrid film, exploring how cycles of violence shape children—and how healing and change are possible.

“Everyone can accomplish a heroic act in their life” hammers home the instructor. But such a destiny is prepared for in the presidential school of cadets that trains volunteer teenagers to serve in the National Guard created by Putin in 2016. Alex Evstigneev photographs these future heroes, whose extreme fragility on the verge of an iron indoctrination he reveals with sound and images.

If architecture is "frozen music", then the façades of houses are its score. We explore the architecture of the post-Soviet space, from wooden architecture to Baroque and classicism, from Art Nouveau to Stalinist and Khrushchev architecture, traces of which are found in the modern panel buildings known as “human anthills”. By doing so, we are trying to understand how this centuries-old symphony could sound and look, and most importantly, we find that irreconcilable conflict of personality and mass, the unique and the typical, that is reflected even “in stone”.

Hi! I’m Masha Shcherbakova, and this is my first stand-up special about relationships with family, religion, the body, society, and myself.

The second stand-up special of the rising comedy star Kristina Bitkulova. With the "What's the Difference" program, she visited eight countries, and the single itself was recorded in Kazakhstan. In her speech, Kristina talks about aerophobia and childhood injuries, and also tries to figure out how to keep your mind in emigration.

Andrey Ayrapetov jokes about the relationship with his father, who, unlike the comedian himself, supports the war, about his great-grandfather, who was in prison, and about his own attempts to be different from his family.

Andrey Hayrapetov's fourth solo concert, "The Happy Man", is presented to your attention. In the concert, I will tell you about moving to Moscow, about living with men, being close to death, and what it's like to be happy after all?

This concert is about toxic love—about betrayal, abuse, hatred, and attachment. About fear, being diminished, going without, and the endless cycle of forgiveness and apologies. About being the victim, the persecutor, and the rescuer all at the same time. About how, against all odds, I made it work.

Vyksa is a Celebration: A documentary about how an art festival transforms a small town and its residents.

Documentary verse. One day from the life of the last narrow-gauge railway passing through the mountains of the Caucasus. In the car, people of different ages and layers, their conversations and a lonely driver, driving to replace his best friend for 20 years after his death.

Have you noticed in life that only strong and smart people can laugh at themselves. This means there is hope - we will survive. In the last century, the idols of our fatherland were poets. There were questions of honor, and in our time: sorcerers, psychics, hypnotists and we, satirists. God willing, this time will end someday in Rus', the times of poets will come again. The only thing that’s a pity is that we won’t live to see this time with you. One thing is required of us: thinking. The rest must be completed by our descendants. Well, since we will not live to see this time, remember - a song helps us build and live, and humor helps us survive. If you laugh like you do today, you can live a long, long time. In our country there is enough stupidity for a long, joyful, wonderful life. Well, that's all for you AAAAAA.

New stand-up concert by the famous Armenian comedian conveys a story of a forced relocation and overall suffering from the recent world events.

You speak—I listen. It rains—I feel. You move—I stand still. If I am not here—it means nothing ever was.

“Pick-Me Nihilism” was originally meant to be a mixtape of jokes that just wouldn’t fit into another special, but it turned into a very cohesive, solid, and funny piece of work! Vibe-wise, it’s closer to “40 Minutes of Sex With Yourself” — which is my favorite special of all time. Same relaxed feel, sometimes silly, no pretensions — just jokes on all kinds of topics. I also like that some of the material here is downright stupid or gross, with no attempts at turning it into theater, orchestras, or high drama. No Tarkovsky — just pure stand-up!

In Russia, 91% of women imprisoned for murder were convicted of killing their husbands, often while defending themselves or protecting their children. After serving long prison sentences, they continue to carry the stigma of being criminals in the eyes of society. In March 2022, the country's first support center for such women, Not Strangers, opened in Perm. Founded by human rights advocate Anna Kargapoltseva, it offers a chance to rebuild lives that seemed beyond repair. Among its residents is Kristina, an intelligent and thoughtful woman. After years of abuse, she made a tragic decision that cost her ten years of freedom. Can she find the strength to start over?

The film consists of records of mother's phone call conversation with her son. She lives in accordance with astrological predictions, he complains about problems with his boyfriend. She sings in karaoke, he travels all over the world, she is ill - he is silent. But in the White Moon Year the invisible karmic planet Selene will show them the way of Light and Grace, giving their lives a higher meaning. Tragicomedy about the conversation of two closest people who live far from each other and cannot really hear each other.

Young Nika, a daughter in a Yamal nomadic family, is about to start school for the first time. She’ll soon be taken to a boarding school, separating her from her family and homeland for an extended period. In preparation, a nomadic teacher guides her through the transition.

This material was written in 2024 during the "Time of White Children" Tour. Thanks to everyone who helped with the tour and came to the concerts. Filmed in Almaty on April 19, 2025.