Striaght Ahead

Five aspiring directors, five short stories about the discovery of cinema. Each short story is an independent story exploring how cinema begins, how it influences us and where the line between the screen and reality lies. The film almanac has the widest range of genres, themes, geography of authors, time of action and even frame format. It can be a short sketch from the set, where the lighting technician suddenly changes places and importance with the most influential auteur director; preparation for the first film screening in Rus'; a conversation between friends immediately after the film; a story of a difficult choice between creative freedom and a career; and finally, a free interpretation of the 1986 film about the life of a simple fisherman from Kaliningrad.

Two childhood friends, and if you're being honest, then two trash with a criminal flavor get into a situation in which long-term friendship is not taken into account. What kind of trash is "trashier", the one who is trying to throw a friend for a certain amount of bucks, and in a very primitive way (they say the money was stolen while he was driving), or the one who, in an effort to return the money, takes the wife and child of his sidekick and companion hostage?

It is hard to know the future. It is even more difficult to feel its inevitability. He is a tax collector. He has an inexplicable, supernatural gift to foresee the future. He is sent to where the impossible is needed. And he does not fail, until - she does not appear. Love is expensive. Give the Gift and love or continue to live an invulnerable wolf. But what he will choose - only God knows.

Moving from rural Russia to the city, Den faces a new reality.

A young piano tuner befriends two rich old-ladies, and plots, with the help of his girlfriend, to betray their trust and steal from them.

St. Petersburg, early 20th century. The handsome and secretive Johann specializes in shooting erotic pictures depicting the floggings of bare-bottomed women. With the help of his assistants, the photographic creations gradually penetrate the peaceful households of two upper-class Russian families.

A polar station on a desolate island in the Arctic Ocean. Sergei, a seasoned meteorologist, and Pavel, a recent college graduate, are spending months in complete isolation on the once strategic research base. Pavel receives an important radio message and is still trying to find the right moment to tell Sergei, when fear, lies and suspicions start poisoning the atmosphere...

The hero is an ordinary farmer, Philip Safronov, whose peaceful life is aggressively interrupted when his land is appropriated by a mysterious group to exploit its oil resources.

An amazing story about the life of a modern girl and her friends, the same desperate young people who do not want to put up with the gray routine and boredom, eager to escape from the real world into the world of their dreams and fantasies.

A black BMW, a symbol of luxury, is racing along the night streets of Moscow in the 90s. Bad luck turns four friends into criminals and they have no way back. Only the black “bimmer” is reliable in this life without rules, taking the friends farther and farther from Moscow, into the crazy and ruthless wilderness of Russian roads… None of them wanted to kill. None of them wanted to die. But they will have to face their destiny in the end.

Programmer Prince Myshkin returns to his historical homeland from Switzerland, where he was undergoing treatment in a psychiatric clinic. On the bus, the prince meets businessman Parfen Rogozhin, who is suffering from lovesickness for Nastasya Filippovna.

Andrei Davydov, a successful businessman and former physicist, plots an unprecedented scam aimed at causing a downfall on the world’s financial markets. He has no doubts that he will succeed, but speculating on an ecological catastrophe is a dangerous gamble. Especially when love interferes with his carefully thought-out scheme of the operation…

The film takes place a few years after the events shown in Bummer. Kostyan "Kot", who lost all his friends, the woman he loved and was nearly killed in the first installment of the film tries to begin a new, peaceful life. But is it possible to do? Has Russia changed and do "bratki" on black "bummers" no longer control business? Can he escape his past?

Wedding in a provincial seaside town. In the midst of the fun criminal authority Tourist begins to molest the bride, which infuriates the groom — merchant seaman. The bandits and the police decide to plant a sailor, but he runs away and on his quest sent the police, killers, relatives and different people.

One day, Grigori appears at the hospital in a state of excitement and informs her that his mother has died. Margarita, who also knew this friendly old lady, is saddened at the news. On the other hand, the announcement makes her hopeful that things might just work out for her and Grigori after all.

Almanac of five short stories commissioned by ROSKOMKINO to celebrate the 100th anniversary of cinema.