The Formula of Light

A story about a countryside detectivean his hunt for the kolkhoz money thief. Based on the Fazil Iskander's novel.

The writer Stepanov became aware that the sketch of Vrubel's painting will be sold at the Sotheby's auction. Leaked information alarmed Western insurance companies - the return of the once stolen from the Rovno Museum masterpiece threatens serious penalties. Threats, blackmail and forged documents are used.

In the center of the plot is a screenwriter hired to create a new film. He writes a script about his childhood in the post-war Moscow courtyard. About how the boys were at enmity with the firemen, how they tried to blow up the fire, and how the firemen took revenge on them ... And how the boys ate the earth, swearing allegiance to each other ... And about who passed the test and who did not .. In his memoirs the script writer seems to be walking around in circles, returning to his childhood, as the brightest part of his life, where he very much wants to return, like a prodigal son in his father's house...

Zoo inspector Chaplygin, concerned about the death of walruses due to panic caused by airplane flights, destroys the only navigational sign and the flights stop. Having failed to understand each other on the spot, the pilot and the zoo inspector go to Moscow - and will settle their dispute in the State Arbitration.

The movie consists of two novellas. "The Affair". Russian sailor Nikolai and former bullfighter Spaniard Jose-Maria are hired on a ship, doomed in advance: the owner of the ship intends to sink it during the voyage to get a large insurance. "Scorpion and cotton candy." Friends are employed as sailors on the ship "Jupiter". The revolutionary committee assigns them to deliver an underground newspaper to Odesa. Scorpion himself, who can detect any contraband, takes part in the customs inspection at the Odesa port.

Traveling along the Volga River, a worker from Kaunas, Jonas Budris, while stopping the ship in one of the Volga towns, searched for the house where his old friend Petr lived. After learning that after Peter's death his wife was hospitalized, his eldest son was serving time for theft, and his youngest had dropped out of school, Jonas decided to interrupt the trip and stayed at his friend's house.