Karnaval (1982) - full transcript
A coming-of-age story about a small town girl's struggle to become an actress in Soviet Moscow.
Central Studio of Children and
Youth Films named after M. Gorky
SECOND ARTISTS’ ASSOCIATION
CARNIVAL
Screenplay by A. Rodionova
with T. Lioznova
Directed by
Tatiana Lioznova
Director of Photography
Pyotr Katayev
Production Designers
B. Dulenkov, V. Pasternak
Music by M. Dunayevsky
Lyrics by R. Rozhdestvensky
CARNIVAL
Starring
Irina Muravyova
Also starring
Solomatin – Yu. Yakovlev
Josephina Viktorovna – K. Luchko
Solomatina – A. Rumyantseva
Nikita – A. Abdulov
Nikita’s mother – V. Vasilyeva
Karma – Ye. Zhemchuzhnaya
Nikolayenko – B. Morozov
Apartment owner – V. Titova
Grandma Zinaida – Z. Vorkul
Remizov – A. Mikhailov
Commission chairwoman – L. Smirnova
Vadim Arturovich – V. Andreyev
Zhenya – V. Baranov
Galya – T. Mikrikova
Tolik – I. Radov
Masha – Ye. Astafyeva
Administrator – A. Ilchinin
Supporting cast: V. Ananyina
G. Aleksandrovich, V. Balashov
M. Zharova, T. Yarenko
M. Gavrilko, Ya. Belenky
Ye. Maximova, K. Kozlyonkova
P. Vinnik, S. Vershinina
I. Budkevich, V. Ivanov
B. Opletayev
Z. Zemnukhova, S. Konovalova
Ye. Korolyova, M. Skvortsova
O. Blok, R. Monastyrsky
Ye. Gorbatov
Animal trainers
T. Filatova, L. Filatova
A. Filatov, V. Filatov
Dance ensemble “Rhythms of the Planet”
Choreographer B. Sankin
Vocal-instrumental band
“Festival”
Death by the sea.
Too bad it’s not Indian,
though it’s colored and wide-screen.
Zhenya! Didn’t get the tickets,
I guess.
Where are you? Jesus!
Coming at last.
Check it out! Look!
- Some hairdo!
- So weird.
How does she do it?
Sets it on rollers?
17:20 show. “Death by the Sea”.
Come on.
We can’t go on like this…
I can’t live without you…
You don’t know the important thing.
I’m married…
I love my husband…
That’s real love!
That’s real love! Right, Nina?
You know what, Zhenya?
You better go. We need to talk.
- I’ll just see you home.
- Don’t.
Go, please.
Wait, Galka. Go, Zhenya.
We’re almost home.
All right. Tomorrow we’ll have a test.
Bring a clean notebook.
Oh, Jesus!
Go now!
Don’t forget to bring your
roller skates tomorrow.
What a pain in the neck! Doesn’t he
understand that people are laughing?
You know what they call you?
A wagon and a trailer.
Oh, God! There’s real life somewhere.
I love the day, I love the night,
I love the woods mysterious,
I love your eyes, so nice and bright,
I’ll never forget them, dear.
- Why no rhyme?
- But it’s true.
Love me as I love you,
with your blue eyes.
Love me as I love you,
and never meet other guys!
Let’s run, Nina! Run!
They’re chicken, though look sturdy.
You didn’t recognize us, did you?
These guys are from
the small-caliber works.
Some bandits! Come on, Galka.
Let’s go, I say.
What a town! I hate it.
Not one unfamiliar face!
Even the bandits are guys we know.
Ciao!
Just like that.
I’ll go this way.
One, two, three…
Coming through!
Mister, step aside!
Boy!
Listen, you.
Go to your courtyard and
make noise there.
- I am going.
- Go, then.
- I’m going.
- You’ve scared all the kids.
Is it what they call ‘city’?
It’s just hills and hillocks.
Just hills.
An artiste!
Look, Belka.
Some circus!
I’ve rolled all the way
from the Street of Heroes!
- Really?
- Mom, give me something to drink.
Careful! You’ll turn everything
upside down.
I’ve rolled all the way
from the supermarket!
Oh, my God!
Can you be quiet for a minute?
- Was it a good movie?
- It was all right.
All the girls wept. Even Galka.
It was about love.
I’m so thirsty!
You make so much noise!
- “Horizon” was full.
- Who was full?
The “Horizon” theatre.
Tomorrow you should
visit Grandma Zinaida.
Okay, I will.
Only I have a rehearsal.
The show is very soon. There’ll be
important guests from the center.
My heart is aching already.
Let’s stretch it.
Oh, God!
What’s the matter with you?
- Take off your roller skates!
- Right.
I don’t think I’ll outlive
this summer.
First your school exams, then you’ll
go away. Where? What for?
Don’t worry, Mom, you’ll outlive it
all right. Everybody does.
Remember how much Yuta’s mother
worried? But she’s studying alright.
Visiting with her on vacations and
holidays. Even bringing presents.
Yuta’s in a trade school. It’s a real
profession. And you? An actress!
Stop it, Mom.
Just look at yourself.
Actresses are beautiful, thin.
And you’re a size 10.
With a voice like a Jericho trumpet.
I saw them on TV – thin lips,
long legs. And you?
Why did you have me born like that?
Or was it my daddy who spoilt it?
Don’t you talk like this
about your father!
Some father he is to me!
I’ve never seen him in my life,
nor his alimony.
He did send us money.
I can imagine what a celebration
they had when I turned 18.
They must have enjoyed it very much.
You think I’m wrong? What?
Or was it some unimaginable love
between you two?
Or you were super-beautiful and we,
the ugly ones, have no right to live?
I’m just saying that you’re a big
girl, you won’t fit into the screen.
Where can one find such love as they
show in the movies? You invented it.
- How long do I have to wait?
- As if your life’s already passed.
And where’s love? Is it Zhenya? Or our
one-nighter daddy? Where to find it?
- The world is big.
- Oh, Jesus!
Why do some get all, like actresses -
love and looks, while others…
Stop moaning!
You’re young and healthy.
And what’s left for me? Just lie down
and die?
Have I had a heart attack? Yes.
Do I have high blood pressure? Yes.
I got no husband. So what? I have
raised you and kept our house.
You think I’m going
to live in your house?
I’ll go away from here!
I don’t want to live like you do!
Don’t even think of it! Never!
Look how other people live!
By the sea!
What do we need the sea for?
Good heavens! We don’t want it.
You’re my beauty!
You look lovely!
If I looked like you,
my life would have been different.
Look at me. Come on, look.
You got eyes, and eyelashes. Want me
to tell your fortune? By the book.
On the right. 7th line from top.
Three, four, five…
…the school is recruiting young…
What book did you get?
Handbook for the entrants…
Turn off the light.
Chatsky, come on.
It’s hardly morning:
here I’m down on my knees!
Take your ear out! Don’t you feel it?
Like this?
Once again.
It’s hardly morning:
here I’m down on my knees!
Now I can’t see your forehead!
Solomatina, you try. Sofia!
- I’m here!
- Where’s Sofia?
Solomatina!
I’m here.
Stand in the light.
Where do I begin? From the end?
Chatsky, do you see
how the light should be held?
You all see it? Smoke break.
I don’t smoke.
Well, if you want, I can smoke.
That’s it! To a god-forsaken place!
Your aunt’s! Near Saratov!
Wait. Let me do it!
Bravo, Nina!
Work out, girls.
Let me do it.
To a god-forsaken place!
Your aunt’s! Near Saratov!
Now, Solomatina.
Now, Grushina.
To a god-forsaken place!
Your aunt’s! Near Saratov!
All right, who’s smoking here?
Who smoked here?
What do you mean? You are smoking.
No, someone else was smoking.
- No.
- No! We don’t smoke.
You fools! No, not you.
- Take a seat, Vadim Arturovich.
- Thanks.
You’ll damage your voices,
and won’t be admitted anywhere.
It’s only Nina who wants
to enter a theatre school.
Do they admit only beautiful ones?
They need all kinds for movies, right?
Right. You better tell me
why boys don’t attend our studio?
- Oh, those boys! They’re stupid.
- With only hockey on their mind.
Vadim Arturovich, we’re finishing
school soon. Have to prepare for exams.
Never mind, I won’t be suffering with
you for long. I’m leaving for Minsk.
- No, don’t leave!
- And what about us?
You’ll be fine. In a year or two you
all will get married. Kids, pampers…
You won’t even think about
amateur theatre!
I can’t live without
amateur theatre.
Really.
When you return home from
the movies – it’s all the same again.
So boring! Mother is grumbling,
my brothers are whimpering,
and you can’t but dream
of a different life!
Tell us, is it true that Gurchenko
is married to Batalov?
Or to Smoktunovsky?
That Vadim Arturovich
actually is so backward.
Curtain has been cancelled everywhere,
and we still have act, curtain, scene…
In Moscow they all play just one act.
And there’s no stage. An actor
comes out and talks to the audience.
And they?
Who?
The audience. Do they talk too?
- Talk to whom?
- To the actors.
Are you stupid or what?
It’s not a bazaar.
I would like that. I would’ve asked
them how much they earn.
I guess they get thousands.
Are you thinking of becoming
an actor, too? Listen to me, then.
They don’t accept anyone
shorter than 6 feet.
And don’t hang about here.
I may stay overnight at grandma’s.
Seryozha, take my bag.
Take mine, too.
Bye!
- Hello.
- Hello.
- Where’s Grandma Zinaida?
- She’ll be right back.
Why are all these potatoes
scattered here?
Wait.
Wait a minute. One, two.
All right. Wait a minute.
All right. Just a minute.
- And where’s Grandma Zinaida?
- She’ll be back soon.
She’s either at the farm or at
at the store. Take a seat.
- At the store? It’s closed.
-Well, I don’t know.
How you doing here? Is it fun?
We ain’t complaining.
Is there any fish here?
I don’t fish, do I? Why do you ask?
But you’ve got the air here,
not like in Moscow.
Something to fill your lungs with.
Oxygen!
How do you say it?
Phosphorus burns in the air,
isolating…
- Anhydride.
- Anhydride there.
And my shoes make no do,
they let H2O through.
What’s interesting culturewise?
Theatres, museums, exhibitions?
Culturewise?
We’ve got nothing!
We got a traveling theatre, but during
the sowing campaign it’s in the field,
maybe in winter sometimes.
And they play only old stuff -
Shakespeare, Chekhov.
We have a studio at school.
We play “Woe from Wit”.
It’s in the 7th grade program. We also
played “Don’t Leave Your Lovers”
and “Valentin and Valentina”.
I was Valentina.
- And who was Valentin?
- Another girl.
- A girl?
- Boys don’t attend the studio.
Why are all these potatoes scattered?
I see you’ve already got acquainted.
Good for you! Now we’ll fix
some dinner!
The store is closed.
So I went to Antonina at her home.
I said I need it so much!
And she sold it to me. We just had
one glass, and there was no more.
We’ll do everything in a jiffy.
We haven’t been introduced yet.
We talked, but we’re not acquainted.
Solomatin, Mikhail Iosifovich.
What’s your name?
Nina.
What? What? I can’t hear.
I’m sorry.
You say you’re an amateur
actress, but I can’t hear you.
And you have a premiere coming.
Solomatin, Mikhail Iosifovich.
Designer.
Don’t you…
know about me?
Didn’t Grandma Zinaida
tell you anything?
Wait, wait. I think I remember now.
Sarah Bernhardt?
Oh no, excuse me.
Glikeriya Fedotova?
Solomatina, Nina Mikhailovna.
Such a big girl.
Well! We don’t get this occasion
every day, even not every year.
Such a guest!
My dear sonny!
Come on, sit down.
Sit down.
To our reunion.
I can’t believe my eyes,
seeing Mikhail at home.
A big, grownup man, with a mustache.
You be nice to Nina.
She’s my best help.
I’m getting old, sometimes
I can’t see the seam.
And she would pull
the basting thread out,
hem it
and even work buttonholes.
My darling children, to your meeting!
I found that chair!
Right here? All right, then.
There’re not enough hooks here.
What?!
Two loops for every hook? I see.
What? I don’t understand.
Here we are. We’ve brought it.
What?!
You don’t need it?
Write it on the paper. Here’s a pencil.
No poster? Why, my father
is a designer! I’ll be right back!
Dad, I thought you were already gone.
We need to draw a poster.
I think I’d better be going.
I’ve been waiting for you all day.
We need to draw a poster,
and you’re s designer.
None of us can draw,
and our Vadim Arturovich even got
hoarse because of his nerves.
- The sky is light tonight.
- Go on, tell me anyway.
But on a moonless night
you can see about 3,000 stars.
This constellation
has the biggest star.
Yeah.
Well?
And this is the star of lovers
and madmen – Arcturus.
See it?
Well?
Come on, Dad.
- You know what’s most interesting?
- What?
All stars have different
shine and color:
white, yellow, red.
And the redder a star,
the colder it is.
It’s interesting, isn’t it?
- I must make a confession.
- What?
Nowhere and never, in no city of
the world, you can believe me,
do stars shine so brilliantly
and so enchantingly
as in the town of your childhood.
I’ve realized this today.
Oh, you talk so interestingly!
It’s hot, isn’t it?
- You really liked the show?
- Yes, really.
The girls tried to do their best. Liza
even cried. We were really scared.
- Your briefcase fell.
- It’s all right.
- Will you come again?
- Of course I will.
I’ll come soon to apply for a theatre
school. Will you give me your number?
Yes, of course.
We weren’t to see mother.
You could see how we live.
- Is this the phone number?
- Yes.
- Home number?
- Yes, home number.
Thanks. I’ll call you as soon as
I arrive, Mikhail Iosifovich.
You address me officially again.
I’m just stupid.
Oh, the train!
Don’t forget your briefcase.
May I write to you?
I’m so silly, I didn’t ask you
about anything,
how you live, what you have.
I didn’t know you were like that.
I even despised you at first.
- Which car is yours?
- This one.
Daddy…
my dear, please come again,
don’t forget me!
I’m your daughter!
Daddy!
Daddy! Oh, what am I saying?!
Mikhail Iosifovich!
Fast train number 24 departing
from track two.
Here’s your ticket.
Daddy!
Daddy!
Daddy darling!
Come on, get out of here! You hear?!
Are you crazy?! What are you doing?!
- Leave her alone!
- I’ll get off at the next stop.
- The car’s full of inspectors!
- Leave her alone!
A whole gypsy camp came.
It’s just awful!
We observe hygienics all life,
but they never get mastitis.
Go on!
- Listen, dear…
- To the queue! Go in the queue!
They have babies in order to get
ahead of the queue. Go on!
- Mister, let us go.
- Stand in the queue like everybody.
They just have babies to get ahead
of the queue.
Why say that? They are kids. They
are not born not to stand in a queue.
- Then take them in your car.
- Everybody else stands in the queue.
- All right.
- Your car.
I’ll take them.
- Where to?
- Me? To the hotel.
- Which one?
- Any one.
What do you mean, any one?
If you have a reservation,
then tell me where.
“Golden Spike”, “Tourist”,
“Uzbekistan”?
I don’t know. It’s for a short time.
I’m not going to roll all over Moscow.
My shift ends in an hour.
Go straight ahead.
- You have nowhere to live?
- Yes, I have. At my father’s.
Turn left. You can stay with us.
In the camp?!
Why in the camp? In an apartment.
If you like, I can tell your fortune.
It’s only for two days.
- Where now?
- Around the corner.
Our folks are good,
they won’t take any money.
They’re so cute!
I’m Nina Solomatina.
And I’m Karma.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Here.
- Across the bridge, past the market.
- Chertanovo? Or Novogireyevo?
And I say to him:
if you love me, lay off.
You’re not my hero.
He’s short, shorter than I.
When I was leaving, he cried.
I say: how can I love you
if you’re such a crybaby?
But he just cried.
And my father is a bigwig.
But I don’t want to go to his place.
Who knows.
There’s his wife, Josephina Viktorovna.
His son, Dimka. He’s 12.
I’ll call them tomorrow.
Want to know why I came?
I’ll tell you.
I’m applying for a theatre school.
Though I don’t know yet.
Want me to tell your fortune?
I don’t believe in it.
Want me to tell yours?
Our girls tell it
if your wish is going to come true.
You think of a wish and I’ll tell you
if it comes true or not.
You thought of it?
All right. It’ll come true.
Is it true that you don’t work,
only steal?
I don’t believe it, but people
say you do.
Can you make it that everything
works out?
Yes, we’re going to bed.
Lie down.
- Shall I wash the dishes?
- Lie down!
- What happened?
- Nothing happened.
Are you leaving?
- Karma got married.
- And where’s Karma?
Where’s Karma?
Thrust themselves upon us.
Thrusting yourselves upon us!
- And where’s Karma?
- Ran away with her former husband.
This is Karmina! This is Karmina!
- What about the kids?!
- Don’t worry.
Thank you.
Goodbye.
Honey, it’s closed.
Go outside. I’m sorry,
Josephina Viktorovna.
Good morning.
I found the place. Very good,
only 10 minutes from the station.
- Is there any greenery?
- Yes.
Do you know if they’ve
finished the ground floor?
Isn’t this my rag?
Damn it! Cats everywhere!
- Honey, don’t be in the way.
- Take away your honey.
The house is in a hazardous state,
but they don’t lift a finger!
- Josephina Viktorovna, it’s for you.
- Yes, I hear.
- Do the Solomatins live here?
- Yes, here.
Then I came to you. I’m Nina. Hello.
Nina?
Are you Josephina Viktorovna?
My father was telling me about you.
- What father?
- I’m his daughter, Nina.
From Okhansk. He came to us in May.
What Okhansk? He went to…
Oh yes, to Okhansk.
- Come in.
- His mother lives there, Grandma Zina.
Was he alone in that Okhansk of
yours, or with his friends?
Alone. I thought he told you.
I deliberately hadn’t written,
wanted it to be a surprise.
To whom, do you think,
had he paid alimony?
And I hated him, can you imagine?
Not this way. Come in here.
I thought you had a whole
apartment or at least two rooms.
Who’s it on the picture?
We’ll soon get our own apartment.
It’s my father on the photo.
Put the flowers over there,
it’ll look good.
I spent the night with gypsies,
I thought they’d rob me.
I came to enter a theatre school.
Will you tell me where the GUM is?
They gave me a whole list.
To buy stilettos for the girls,
and a safri for Galka.
- What safri?
- It’s a dress.
- Safari.
- Really?
I speak like we do at home.
Want me to wash the floor?
I can do everything.
Want me to wash the windows?
Wait. You decided
to stay with us?
I can sleep by the door on a folding
bed. I slept on the floor with gypsies.
You see, Mikhail Iosifovich
is a reserved, secretive man.
He never told me
that he had a daughter.
I thought he was a parasite, too.
Then he came and we got acquainted.
I began to observe stars,
bought a lot of books.
You must be in a hurry for work?
Yes, I…
got to run. I’m leaving.
And I need to go to the GUM. Where
do you have some theatre school?
All right, I’ll fill it with water
and put the kettle on.
You get settled here.
Maybe you want to wash up?
No, I never wash my face.
Only with a lotion.
Why can’t you see stars
in Moscow at night?
Because there’s too much light?
- Perhaps. Shall we go in?
- Wow!
Well?
No. I’m not dressed and my hair’s
not done. It’s a wrong dress.
If I knew, I’d have put rollers on.
- How about a movie?
- Let’s just walk.
All right.
You’ve got a beautiful city,
like a foreign one.
What a great outfit! With a vest!
Would it look good on me?
Sure it would. When you get
enrolled in a theatre school…
- What if I don’t?
- You will.
I’ll buy you such outfit
and whatever girls wear.
- And boots.
- Okay.
How lucky I am! And a bag
over my shoulder.
You want it? All right.
You’re the best dad in the world!
Did anybody ever tell you that?
Dimka never told you that
because he’s a boy.
You’re just like from a movie.
- Is it Arabian eau-de-Cologne you got?
- What?
- I have no idea.
- I’m so happy, like in a dream.
Coffee is ready.
- Thank you.
- You’re welcome.
Please.
Thank you.
This is an early 18th.
- A late 17th.
- No, an early.
- A late.
- An early.
- But I know it.
- You think I can’t tell?
- And I’m not blind, am I?
- Let’s not argue.
- Tell me how you like my daughter?
- A fine girl.
When my Masha’s back,
they’ll be friends.
Actually, it’s an early 18th. One can
see it even with an untrained eye.
To hell with you.
I know it’s a late 17th.
- Shall I get her a job in the workshop?
- What workshop?
- Restoration.
- They need young people.
No, I came to enter a college.
Right, Dad?
How’s your work going?
On my book? There’re some drafts.
Next time I’ll show them to you.
You got talent, Misha.
Your father got talent,
but he ought to be reminded of that.
- Come on, admit it.
- Never.
You got me? I trust you
with your father.
He’s a rare man. We don’t have many
like him. There’s a great shortage.
But he should be told that every day.
You got it, young lady?
Yes.
Dad, you’re a talent!
You got it, young lady?
Don’t let your soul too much exert,
But let the soul be inert.
In order not to plough the sand,
The soul needs a lazy trend.
No, not like this!
Rally the ranks into a march!
Now’s no time to quibble or browse.
Rally the ranks into a march!
To quibble or browse it’s no time now.
What would be better: first a fable,
then a poem, or the other way round?
- Are you a travesty?
- I guess so.
- Then a fable.
- Will there be sketches?
Sure.
- And who’s that gray-haired one?
- She teaches the technique of speech.
- Are you studying acting?
- No, directing.
- What year?
- Second.
- What sketches will we do?
- How many will they admit?
- About 12-15 people.
- How many applicants for a vacancy?
I think, about 10.
What poems it’s better to read?
I mean, contemporary or classical?
How do you spell ‘autobiography’?
With ‘f’ or ‘ph’?
Of course, with ‘ph’. You stupid.
Where’re you going?! The final dance
exam is on here.
“QUIET! DO NOT ENTER!
The final dance examination is on!”
Girls, I swallowed so much
tranquilizers. I can’t think right.
You’re going to fall asleep, silly.
Pankratov. Pankova, get ready.
- What?
- Come on, tell us!
How was it? Tell us!
I came in and couldn’t see anything.
I left my glasses here.
My dear, why did you apply here
if you can’t see?
So what?
Ostuzhev was absolutely blind,
yet he was acting.
He wasn’t blind, he was deaf.
Solomatina. Sulkina, get ready.
- Solomatina!
- Solomatina!
Solomatina isn’t here?
- Solomatina!
- She was here a minute ago.
A Solomatina has disappeared.
Hurry, for God’s sake!
Let go! I thought someone was
holding it.
- Give me your bag!
- You’ve been called up!
Break a leg!
Sit down! I’m glad to see you.
Discard any fear, feel free
and show your hand.
The other day I was elected
king by popular demand.
Hold it. You’ve overwhelmed us.
Come here.
- Sit down! I’m glad to see you!
- Come here.
Sit down! I’m glad to see you!
Discard any fear…
Excuse me. Tell us your name
and step back.
More.
Good.
- Your name?
- Solomatina.
What?
I told you: Solomatina.
Nina Mikhailovna.
- What are you going to recite?
- Apukhtin. “Madman”.
Sit down. I’m glad to see you.
Discard any fear, feel free
and show your hand.
The other day I was elected king
by popular demand.
You know, I can also
sing and dance.
Later.
- They’ve taken you?
- No.
They said I got temperament,
but I talk awfully.
I talk like everybody does in life
in our Okhansk.
They say: life is one thing,
and art is another.
They named lots of letters,
half the alphabet.
K, L, M, N.
I know it.
They said: we won’t be able
to teach you anew.
- The little one, what did she say?
- She said no, we won’t be able.
Why teach me anew?
I’m not a baby, am I?
You ever heard people
on television talk like that?
That’s television, and I want
to act in theatre.
- They said I’m buzzing all the way.
- Like what?
I’m saying ‘zh”. I can not say it,
but everybody says so back home.
- So you argued with them, too?
- I was trying to prove.
In movies about village life,
everybody talks like that.
You’re twice a fool. Because you
argued and didn’t understand anything.
You better go to that old woman,
she teaches the technique of speech.
Her name is Yevdoksiya Ardoleonovna.
Can you remember?
Yes.
But say it right – Yevdoksiya, not
Yevdokiya, or she won’t speak to you.
Ask her what books you need,
how you should study.
Playact remorse, ask for
her advice. They love it.
She will be moved and give you
a good advice. You got it?
- Yes.
- All right, then.
Goodbye. See you in two days.
Yevdoksiya Ardoleonovna.
Yevdokiya Arleonovna!
I’ll roll you!
Just tell me
what books I should take.
I can not say ‘zh’.
Oh, look! They say…
Look, Yevdokiya Arleonovna!
Dad, I talked to the woman
who teaches how to speak.
She’ll give me textbooks.
And I will study.
Why not?
You see, Nina, we would
just like to know,
maybe we can help you buy a ticket?
- To go south, they’re hard to get.
- I’m not going home.
You know that we’re crowded here.
The living conditions are not good.
And you need to study.
I don’t need anything. Besides, we’ve
decided everything. Right, Dad?
Look at the way you sit!
Where are your elbows?
And how you’re holding the spoon!
Just look at yourself!
And pay attention to your hands!
As though you sat in garbage all day!
Sit straight!
You ought to be sent not to
a pioneer camp, but to a colony!
Why you just listen?
A normal boy would have understood
that he has to go and wash his hands.
Get out from the table! You dimwit!
You know where I’m going to work?
You’ll never guess.
Josephina Viktorovna? Dad?
At the “Zarya” firm.
What do they do?
Fixing watches?
No. It’s the services sector.
One girl told me.
You can baby-sit,
or take care of the sick.
No.
You will study and prepare for
the exams. We’ll manage somehow.
Don’t worry, Dad will rent
a room for me. Right, Dad?
Just for a year, I won’t need it
for more.
When I enroll, I can live
in a dormitory.
Yes, that’s my decision.
That’s my decision. Of course,
it will be hard, but we’ll manage.
We must try to.
Oh, just wait, Dad.
Daddy!
You’re just wonderful!
You rented it until next summer?
Oh, Dad!
Oh, Dad!
And what’s in there?
Oh! Just look!
Daddy!
Daddy! You’re just wonderful!
Look what I’ve got.
- What is it?
- Nuts. I practice like in the book.
- Are you really a director?
- So far, a 4th-year student.
And I was trying for a theatre school.
I failed, I speak wrong.
I’ll be trying again.
- How stuffy it is here!
- Let’s go to the kitchen and smoke.
I don’t smoke. It’s bad for your
vocal chords.
Nonsense. All our actresses
smoke like chimneys. Come on.
- Oh God! What’s this?
- It’s Karma. She has nowhere to live.
Nice apartment, only too far from
the center and no telephone.
- What’s your name?
- Nikita. And yours?
I’m Nina. Want some coffe?
It’s still warm.
Okay.
And I don’t have a place to live.
I clashed with my old folks for
good, and separated from my wife.
From your wife? Were you married?
Character incompatibility.
Got any sugar?
She lives in my room.
They turned me out.
- What do you mean, turned out?
- My parents.
They’re about to adopt her.
- Where do you sleep?
- Nowhere.
Stay here. Everybody sleeps here.
When the whoopee is over,
they all stay.
What’s over?
The whoopee.
- And who sleeps here?
- The guys. Tolik, for example…
I know only Tolik among those.
When I had exams, he comforted me.
The gypsies sleep. Karma here.
More coffe?
You should say ‘coffee’.
Moscow dialect.
Thanks. You do correct me.
Because I don’t know anything.
What?
What is it?
- Well? What?
- A bear on roller-skates!
- What?
- Oh, it’s busy.
- Let’s go, then.
- Look, a bear on roller-skates!
That’s some bear!
- I can roller-skate, too.
- You can do anything.
- Wait.
- We’re going to the subway.
- I know a shortcut here.
- What a bear!
- Nikita, something’s happened there!
A fire engine!
- You may kill somebody!
- We know what we’re doing.
Dimka, what happened? I’ve been
calling you and no one answered.
- We’ve got a new apartment.
- Where?
I don’t know.
Here, hold it.
Wait.
Hold it.
- What is it? A fire?
- You’re being demolished.
Dad is coming.
- Mom, Dad is coming!
- Misha, hurry up!
There’s a box with books
and a blanket here.
Dad! Hi!
Careful, these are Dad’s things.
My cat, Honey, is over there.
I can’t find her.
I gave her a sleeping pill.
What Honey? What the hell are
you talking about?
We got our hands full,
and everything’s an emergency.
Give it to me. And this.
A rat!
No, it’s a cat! I didn’t know
what to do with it.
It’s our Honey!
So Honey’s sitting in the bag,
she got hot
and put her head out…
Rat! Rat!
When will they turn on gas?
And there’s no water either.
Just imagine! 16th floor! How have
we managed to move all this up here?
- Right.
- Want some more?
We forgot a table on the 13th floor.
- Where?
- Where, where… On the 13th.
Are you serious?
Folks, is this your table?
Is it yours?
- Yes, ours.
- Thank God. I’ve asked everybody.
- And the mirror is intact.
- Please, to our housewarming.
- It was on the 13th floor, wasn’t it?
- Yes.
- Do you know when they’ll turn on gas?
- And the elevator?
Because, not to be late for work
tomorrow,
we’ll have to start walking down
today.
Dad, I need to talk to you.
- Do you?
- Yes.
- Your apartment is just like ours?
- Absolutely.
You brought us our table,
and I think I carried your bed.
Oh, Dad, the stars! Is this Sirius?
No, it’s Venus. Look
what a view we’ve got from here.
- The forest over there. See?
- And a lake.
Dad,
can you…
well, you know…
till the end… well, if you can…
You see, Nikita and I…
Did you like Nikita?
I think we’ll get married.
We need 100, just to start.
I withdrew it from my account
for moving over.
I thought it would be expensive,
but they moved us for free.
- Are you studying now?
- Yes, everything’s okay.
They have preparatory courses,
but the enrollment will be later.
Don’t worry, I’ll be alright.
Thanks.
Did you really like Nikita?
And who’s that?
That’s Dinka, a model.
My ex-wife.
- Wife?
- Why did you bring her?
We’re civilized people. Do we have to
punch each other if we’re divorced?
Where are you going?
To see her off. I’m spending
this night at my old folks’.
Just wait, I’ll show you!
I’m going to show you!
Let go of her!
Stop it!
- Stop your hysterics!
- You idiot!
Let go of her!
Let go, I said!
- They have a tantrum every day.
- It’s outrageous! Call the police.
And it’s not her apartment.
Calm down, calm down. Calm down!
Stop it!
Stop your hysterics!
Oh, my goodness!
That’s it! Calm yourself!
That’s it!
Are you calm now?
I’m leaving for good. Here, the keys.
I’m a free man.
I never loved you, and I never
said so.
We met, and that’s it. I was going
to come back to my parents today.
I’ll pay you back. I never forget
my debts.
That’s all I’ve got now.
Five kopecks for the subway.
And my toothbrush.
All right. That’s it. Bye.
- What’s this?
- A 5-minute break. A big one at 12.
Will we make it before they close?
Young man!
You’re after me. The girl is before.
- It’s me who’s before, you’re after.
- What do you mean?
Just that.
- Are you pawning a watch, girl?
- Yes.
- You think they won’t take it?
- They will, but just for nothing.
I’ve got a gold ring, too.
It’ll be about 10 rubles.
I see it’s your first time here?
You’d better not start, my dear.
It’s like a disease.
It sucks you in…
After my husband died,
I still can’t buy everything out.
It’s been three years already.
I buy out and then pawn again.
Here, look.
They give 25 rubles for it.
What are you staring at? Never seen us?
Now all our stuff will disappear.
That’s the end. We’ll never
make it now.
Let the pregnant woman come ahead.
If you want to dance, you have to pay.
Karma?
Karma!
Karma!
Where have you been all that time?
Karma.
All right. Enough for now.
Oh, I even got hungry.
I love Ukrainian sausage.
Karma, will you tell my fortune?
Nah, if I do, you’ll believe it.
And how will you live after that?
Come on, Karma. Maybe
everything turns out alright.
Maybe he just got pissed off?
Everybody has fights.
He left nothing, not even
his address. Do some fortune-telling.
Is that him?!
Oh, it must be Nikita.
What’s the matter? Oh, God!
Hello. I want to see
Mikhail Iosifovich Solomatin.
He doesn’t live here.
It’s interesting.
- And who lives here?
- I do.
- All right. I don’t know your name…
- I’m his daughter. You need him?
I rented this apartment
to get money.
I got it only for 1 month, though it’s
been 4. But I get complaints regularly.
I want my money for 3 months, and
I demand that you vacate the apartment.
Let’s go.
No. You, please, stay.
You’re not going anywhere,
or I’ll call the police.
He has paid until the summer.
- If he had, I’d return the odd money.
- He said I could live here…
He hasn’t given me any money,
and he can confirm it.
I have to call him.
How could it be?
I should have charged you
for the repairs.
I could never imagine that
debauches would take place here.
If we have to go to court,
I will testify about it.
- You’re not a child, my dear.
- I need to call him.
Oh, he doesn’t have a telephone!
That’s what I thought. Find a way out
of it yourself. The keys, please.
I’ve brought the money.
Here.
A quick witted cricket critic.
Can you can a can as a canner can
can a can? Can you can…
Hi, bear.
Can you can a can
as a canner can can a can?
Peter Piper picked a peck
of pickled peppers.
Peter Piper picked a peck
of pickled peppers.
A quick witted cricket critic.
A quick witted…
Peter Piper picked a peck
of pickled peppers.
A quick witted cricket critic.
Peter Piper picked a peck
of pickled peppers.
A peck of pickled peppers
Peter Piper picked.
Call me! Call me! Call me, please!
Call me now, I’m begging.
Send through time, like a light breeze,
Your voice to me, with telephone
ringing.
Stars are melting over Moscow.
Maybe I have no pride,
But I want to hear tonight
Your dear voice, a little husky.
Call me! Call me! Call me, please!
I don’t know what’s this all,
Without you the days are fleeting,
I’m begging, make a call,
Call me now, I’m entreating!
Try to reach me from afar,
Let your telephone ring deaden,
Like a thunder from the heaven
Over a chasm of many a star.
Call me! Call me! Call me, please!
If you just give me a clue
That you don’t hold me dear,
I’ll forget about you,
I can do it, I’ll shed no tear.
All this pain I can endure,
Alive and breathing I’ll remain,
I’ll be happy anyway,
Even if without you.
- Got a babysitting job? With Remizovs?
- Hello.
- How much do they pay you?
- Like everyone. 60 kopecks an hour.
Let me tell you a rhyme.
- Can you can a can…
- As a canner can can a can.
Masha, open the door.
Soldatenko with Nesterenko.
You seem not to hear it, of course.
Dear Alexander Timofeyevich!
Congratulations from the “Zarya” firm…
Hello, young lady.
Come in here.
Come on in.
How are you?
Come in here. Wait a second,
I’ll be right back.
On behalf of Soldatenko-Nesterenko,
we congratulate you on getting a prize.
Thank you.
The flowers and the cake are from them.
Well, well.
Do you know that your father has
been looking for you all over Moscow?
Is this the cake?
Yes. From Soldatenkova and Nesterenko.
Here’s the receipt, Sign it, please.
Here.
Dad, you’re on the phone again.
Don’t be long. Hello.
Where’s Misha’s number?
- What Misha?
- Solomatin. He left it somewhere.
I don’t know. Don’t occupy the phone.
Masha, go to the kitchen
and make us some tea.
Come on, move it.
Is it the drawing section?
Can you give me Solomatin’s number?
Solomatin.
Oh, I see.
- It turns out he has no telephone.
- I know.
Even if he had it, I don’t
want to call him.
You know we’re not allowed
to drink tea at clients’.
We got three more congratulations
on the other end of the district.
Wait. How and where
can I find you?
You don’t have to look for me.
I don’t disappear anywhere.
The elevator is out of service
Dispatcher, you got a panel
not working here.
- The elevator doesn’t work.
- Why didn’t you say so?
The panel doesn’t work.
The elevator doesn’t work.
Oh, God!
You won’t eat without bowing down.
What a city! The elevator doesn’t work.
The panel doesn’t work.
Oh-oh-oh!
Aunt Nina, oh-oh-oh!
Come on, come on.
Quiet, boys!
Kolia! Kolia!
Kolia! Kolia, where are you?
- Kolia, my dear boy.
- What are you doing, ma’am?
- Come here.
- I’m here, Aunt Nina.
Go away, guys.
Where’s your galosh? Here it is.
Tell your mom to buy you
new galoshes.
Why?
Because one galosh is bigger
than the other.
I’m not sure, but they may buy them.
Good. Get up.
Give me your nose.
- Mine, too!
- All right, yours, too.
Kolia! Kolia, come back!
Ludmila Filippovna, it’s me.
I can’t hear you. What?
Bolshaya Ordynka… Try to remember.
House 43, apartment 5.
House 43, apartment 5.
Just look at you, such a young mother.
Your son is just
a spitting image of you.
It’s for me.
I’m coming. Where’re my glasses?
Are you from “Zarya”?
Come in, please.
Wipe your feet, boy.
Nikita, close the door.
I just wanted to know
what kind of work you got.
Walking the dog. Nikita,
let Lord out of the bathroom.
Do some shopping
and clean the apartment.
Mother, we don’t need anyone.
I can walk Lord myself.
You have your exams.
As for shopping,
someone of us can do it.
You mean Lyuda?
We’ll die of starvation
before you go shopping.
Yes, Lyuda can do it.
Go to your Lyuda
and don’t meddle in housekeeping.
Here’s the list and the money.
Come back tomorrow with groceries.
That’s how it always happens.
- Shall I serve the chicken?
- Yes.
All right, to the left.
Sorry, to the right.
How are you doing?
- How are you doing here?
- Go away, you’ll break all dishes.
Who cares about dishes?
- Nina, let’s go and dance?
- Of course.
Me?
Right. It’s not serfdom
we have here.
Go.
Wait.
Everything is just fine.
Do you enjoy seeing my mug?
I’m working here.
Is this some kind of revenge?
You stick around here from morning
till night. Trying to blackmail me?
It’s my own five-year plan.
You can take a day off tomorrow.
I’ll arrange it with mother.
Whatever a client wishes,
the firm provides.
Payment is through the firm.
You got quite adept at it.
An actress.
Quite adept at spoiling people’s life.
No one can outsmart you, right?
What if I report to your firm
that you stole money from us?
What will your firm do then?
Nina!
Nina!
I’m sorry, it was stupid of me.
You think it’s easy for me seeing you
every day? I stopped sleeping at night.
I keep recalling how we lived
together, how we carried those things.
That Gypsy who lived at your place.
Where’s she?
I’m not angry.
Everything’s burned out.
But I can’t stop coming to you
even if I want to.
Besides, I don’t care.
Honest.
Excuse me, I got to go.
I’m in a hurry.
Hello? Is this the “Zarya” firm?
Ludmila Filippovna, it’s me.
Yes, I remember. At 10 sharp.
What do I have to do?
No, I can’t go shopping.
Washing the windows is okay.
But only on Mondays.
I’m working at the Music Hall.
Tell me the address.
Serpukhovskaya 23, apartment 2.
I’ll call you later.
Miss!
You ought to pick up things after you!
- Who’s next?
- What? Ah, the bear. Over there.
- Kuzya.
- Standing at the ready.
Hi.
Katya, get ready. We’re going next.
Pardon.
- Quiet!
- Katya, stop it, we have to perform.
Oh, you bear! I can roller-skate,
but not as good as you!
Why not on the stage? Are you late?
I’m Sinyagin, the new administrator.
- I’m an assistant costumier.
- Why roller-skates then?
- What roller-skates?
- You said you could roller-skate.
- Did you say that?
- Yes. When?
Just now. Why roller-skates?
I’m talking to you.
- I can roller-skate.
- And you say you’re a costumier.
Are you a costumier or an actress?
- You can roller-skate, can’t you?
- Me?!
- Stop shouting! Can you?
- Me?!
- You said so.
- Yes, I can.
- The bear got diarrhea.
- Kuzya?
He ate a cake. Those already started,
we can’t stop them. Get dressed.
- Who? Me?
- You! You!
Don’t worry, we got a bear!
Solomatina, come here!
Get her!
Get her! Lift her! Come on!
Where are you going?!
Crawl back!
Crawl back!
Crawl back!
Come here, I said!
Come here!
Run!
Run!
INFORMATION
“To fire P.A. Sinyagin and
N.M. Solomatina.”
I’ll open up.
- Hello.
- Hi.
Father is not home. He’ll be late.
Hi.
Hi.
I have to tell you something.
Venus?
Sirius.
I came to pay my debt,
not to borrow.
No, keep it.
I’m your father.
That’s all.
Why, Nina?
Goodbye.
I’ve earned this money.
If you want, I may call you sometime.
- Hello.
- Hello.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Hello.
- Here’s the laundry.
- Thank you.
The boots from repairs.
They’ve done a good work.
I’ve bought everything.
The wrong bag.
You know, it’s the wrong bag.
I…
I wanted to…
I don’t know how to say it.
You see, I…
- Would you like to have a smoke?
- I don’t smoke.
Could you…
stay with Kolia today?
We’re getting divorced with Katya.
Could you stay with Kolia?
Yes, sure. Oh, God.
- Why are you…
- It’s a long story.
Why? What about Kolia?
He must get used to difficulties.
I’ll have Kolia.
That’s how we agreed.
- But she’s his mother.
- Does a father mean nothing?
Yes, I’ll stay with Kolia.
Only I have to buy cottage cheese
for one old woman.
I mean I bought it already,
but I have to take it to her.
I’ll take it.
Thanks.
Could you come with me
to the theatre or movies tonight?
Kolia will stay with my mother.
She’s free in the evening.
Let’s go to the theatre.
Are you free tonight?
I need it very much.
Yes, I’m free. It so happens
that tonight I’m free.
Thank you.
I love these piroshki,
especially in the frost.
Me, too.
They’re delicious.
I love them with rice, with meat.
I love eating in the frost.
Do you?
Get in the bus, Santa Clauses!
Snow maidens!
Snow maidens!
- Where will you meet the New Year?
- Me?
- Let’s have more piroshki.
- Okay.
Thanks.
I haven’t decided yet where
I’ll meet the New Year.
Where do you live? You have
relatives here?
My father. But I don’t live with him.
I live in a school. The janitor
lets me have a whole classroom.
- A classroom?
- Right.
She needs some help in the yard,
especially in winter, when it’s slushy.
- She lets you a classroom?
- Yes, she does.
Only I have to come after 10.
When they had a holiday ball,
I walked in the streets until 12.
Yes.
- Where do you sleep there?
- I have a folding bed.
It’s warm in there.
An idiotic city, we couldn’t get
anywhere.
A very good city, and it’s good
that we didn’t get anywhere.
What time is it? It’s going
to be very slippery.
Hold on to me!
I told you to hold on to me.
That’s some speed! Supersonic!
- It’s my fault. I knocked you down.
- No, it’s me who couldn’t hold you.
Here’s your hat, here’s mine.
It was awfully slippery there!
Oh, this is your hat,
and this is mine.
What were we talking about?
What time is it, right?
It’s going to be slippery here.
Hold on to me!
- Did you hurt yourself?
- No.
We almost fell again.
Yes, it was some walk.
- I had such rides only as a child.
- I’m home.
You have to go to Kolia.
I’ll come at 10 tomorrow.
- Goodbye.
- Goodbye.
Goodbye.
Just imagine, we fell all of a sudden.
OKHANSK
- Who is it? Oh, my God!
- It’s me, Mom.
I don’t turn off the light.
I’m afraid.
I’m afraid I’ll die without you.
I’m sick all the time.
See what I’m taking?
This medicine costs 10.50.
Virspon or something.
Verospiron.
If it’s expensive,
it will help.
As for the money, we’ll earn it.
I can do everything now.
I can be a cook, and a nurse,
and work in a kindergarten.
We’ll get you well in no time.
You know how many friends I have?
They will send us any medicine.
It’s nothing. How are you?
You didn’t write, so I thought
everything was all right.
I got your money regularly,
twice a month.
Women said, if you earn a lot,
that means you’re all right.
Right. I’m fine.
You’ve come for long?
Or just for the holidays?
Mom, I’ve missed you so much.
I’m not going away.
Don’t cry, Mom.
I’m back.
I’m crying
because you’re different,
I can’t recognize you.
Come on, I’m the same.
You must have forgotten.
What are you saying!
How can I forget?
I’ve got no one but you and
Grandma Zinaida. She’s sick, too.
Are you on a sick leave, Mom?
Me? No. I’ll get up now.
Why sick leave?
I’m going to make us coffee.
- No, don’t get up.
- What time is it?
About six.
Lie down. There you go.
You look beautiful, Mom.
And very young.
You almost got no wrinkles.
When do you have to go to work?
I’ve left the industrial complex.
I get too tired there.
Where do you work now?
So far I’m on a disability leave.
I’ll go to work when I get well.
They’re offering me to work at home.
- Why am I lying down?
- No, no, stay in bed.
There you go. Good.
Are you comfortable?
- What did you do in Moscow?
- I’ll tell you everything later.
You’re grownup already.
An actress.
I watched a show on television.
I thought: where’s my Nina?
Maybe they’re going to show her?
I’ll tell you everything.
What films I’ve seen, what people
I’ve met. You just lie down, okay?
I was away from home for so long.
You know what we’ll do?
We’ll celebrate the New Year.
I’ll bring a fir tree from the park.
No, you can’t take it from the park.
Then from somewhere else.
We’ll celebrate the New Year
better than anyone else.
- We should invite Grandma Zinaida.
- We shall.
We’ll bake pies, we’ll watch
television, and have fun.
And I’ll tell you everything.
But now go to sleep.
Or we’ll feel sleepy,
and sleep through the New Year.
They say you’re going to live
the whole year the way you meet it.
Are you going to be an actress?
No.
I haven’t got enough talent.
- Well, not all become actresses.
- What, then?
How about working in our complex?
We need people.
Maybe.
Don’t worry. I’ll be all right.
Go to sleep.
And what is Moscow like?
Moscow?
There’re big houses in Moscow.
- Really?
- They keep fir trees outside windows.
Really?
And snow, snow, snow…
They pour salt on it, and it melts.
Melting, melting, melting…
And again our tune
Over Earth made a call.
The bright light came down in a stream.
That fantastic, good light
Is the beginning of all -
Of our life and of our dream.
May the light in your eyes
never dim or depart.
I wish all of you only good luck.
I sincerely wish that your life and
your heart
Never lose that vigorous spark.
We have fallen in love
with this holiday light.
Let the years just fly over Earth.
But the dream and the love,
as the holy spring rite,
We’ll forever preserve for its worth.
May the light in your eyes
never dim or depart.
I wish all of you only good luck.
I sincerely wish that your life and
your heart
Never lose that vigorous spark.
There she goes!
There she goes!
I thank you, life,
for every day I see,
For children growing,
for the grain that’s full of ears.
I thank you, life,
for all those dear to me
That live in this wide world of ours.
I thank you, life,
for this generous age
Reverberating in me with joy and pain,
For the multitude of roads
that we can take and change,
And our own selves remain.
For being a river that knows no bounds,
For every winter, and for every spring,
For all my friends, and even
for my foes,
I thank you, life, thank you for
everything!
For the tears and the happiness
you give,
That I was not someone you showed
pity for,
For every moment that I live,
But not for the one when I’m no more.
I thank you, life, for being in debt
to you,
For the strength I had and still will
need,
For everything I will be able to do,
I thank you, life, thank you, indeed.
For being a river that knows no bounds,
For every winter, and for every spring,
For all my friends, and even
for my foes,
I thank you, life, thank you for
everything!
For the tears and the happiness
you give,
That I was not someone you showed
pity for,
For every moment that I live
But not for the one when I’m no more.
THE END
M. Gorky Film Studio
1981
Youth Films named after M. Gorky
SECOND ARTISTS’ ASSOCIATION
CARNIVAL
Screenplay by A. Rodionova
with T. Lioznova
Directed by
Tatiana Lioznova
Director of Photography
Pyotr Katayev
Production Designers
B. Dulenkov, V. Pasternak
Music by M. Dunayevsky
Lyrics by R. Rozhdestvensky
CARNIVAL
Starring
Irina Muravyova
Also starring
Solomatin – Yu. Yakovlev
Josephina Viktorovna – K. Luchko
Solomatina – A. Rumyantseva
Nikita – A. Abdulov
Nikita’s mother – V. Vasilyeva
Karma – Ye. Zhemchuzhnaya
Nikolayenko – B. Morozov
Apartment owner – V. Titova
Grandma Zinaida – Z. Vorkul
Remizov – A. Mikhailov
Commission chairwoman – L. Smirnova
Vadim Arturovich – V. Andreyev
Zhenya – V. Baranov
Galya – T. Mikrikova
Tolik – I. Radov
Masha – Ye. Astafyeva
Administrator – A. Ilchinin
Supporting cast: V. Ananyina
G. Aleksandrovich, V. Balashov
M. Zharova, T. Yarenko
M. Gavrilko, Ya. Belenky
Ye. Maximova, K. Kozlyonkova
P. Vinnik, S. Vershinina
I. Budkevich, V. Ivanov
B. Opletayev
Z. Zemnukhova, S. Konovalova
Ye. Korolyova, M. Skvortsova
O. Blok, R. Monastyrsky
Ye. Gorbatov
Animal trainers
T. Filatova, L. Filatova
A. Filatov, V. Filatov
Dance ensemble “Rhythms of the Planet”
Choreographer B. Sankin
Vocal-instrumental band
“Festival”
Death by the sea.
Too bad it’s not Indian,
though it’s colored and wide-screen.
Zhenya! Didn’t get the tickets,
I guess.
Where are you? Jesus!
Coming at last.
Check it out! Look!
- Some hairdo!
- So weird.
How does she do it?
Sets it on rollers?
17:20 show. “Death by the Sea”.
Come on.
We can’t go on like this…
I can’t live without you…
You don’t know the important thing.
I’m married…
I love my husband…
That’s real love!
That’s real love! Right, Nina?
You know what, Zhenya?
You better go. We need to talk.
- I’ll just see you home.
- Don’t.
Go, please.
Wait, Galka. Go, Zhenya.
We’re almost home.
All right. Tomorrow we’ll have a test.
Bring a clean notebook.
Oh, Jesus!
Go now!
Don’t forget to bring your
roller skates tomorrow.
What a pain in the neck! Doesn’t he
understand that people are laughing?
You know what they call you?
A wagon and a trailer.
Oh, God! There’s real life somewhere.
I love the day, I love the night,
I love the woods mysterious,
I love your eyes, so nice and bright,
I’ll never forget them, dear.
- Why no rhyme?
- But it’s true.
Love me as I love you,
with your blue eyes.
Love me as I love you,
and never meet other guys!
Let’s run, Nina! Run!
They’re chicken, though look sturdy.
You didn’t recognize us, did you?
These guys are from
the small-caliber works.
Some bandits! Come on, Galka.
Let’s go, I say.
What a town! I hate it.
Not one unfamiliar face!
Even the bandits are guys we know.
Ciao!
Just like that.
I’ll go this way.
One, two, three…
Coming through!
Mister, step aside!
Boy!
Listen, you.
Go to your courtyard and
make noise there.
- I am going.
- Go, then.
- I’m going.
- You’ve scared all the kids.
Is it what they call ‘city’?
It’s just hills and hillocks.
Just hills.
An artiste!
Look, Belka.
Some circus!
I’ve rolled all the way
from the Street of Heroes!
- Really?
- Mom, give me something to drink.
Careful! You’ll turn everything
upside down.
I’ve rolled all the way
from the supermarket!
Oh, my God!
Can you be quiet for a minute?
- Was it a good movie?
- It was all right.
All the girls wept. Even Galka.
It was about love.
I’m so thirsty!
You make so much noise!
- “Horizon” was full.
- Who was full?
The “Horizon” theatre.
Tomorrow you should
visit Grandma Zinaida.
Okay, I will.
Only I have a rehearsal.
The show is very soon. There’ll be
important guests from the center.
My heart is aching already.
Let’s stretch it.
Oh, God!
What’s the matter with you?
- Take off your roller skates!
- Right.
I don’t think I’ll outlive
this summer.
First your school exams, then you’ll
go away. Where? What for?
Don’t worry, Mom, you’ll outlive it
all right. Everybody does.
Remember how much Yuta’s mother
worried? But she’s studying alright.
Visiting with her on vacations and
holidays. Even bringing presents.
Yuta’s in a trade school. It’s a real
profession. And you? An actress!
Stop it, Mom.
Just look at yourself.
Actresses are beautiful, thin.
And you’re a size 10.
With a voice like a Jericho trumpet.
I saw them on TV – thin lips,
long legs. And you?
Why did you have me born like that?
Or was it my daddy who spoilt it?
Don’t you talk like this
about your father!
Some father he is to me!
I’ve never seen him in my life,
nor his alimony.
He did send us money.
I can imagine what a celebration
they had when I turned 18.
They must have enjoyed it very much.
You think I’m wrong? What?
Or was it some unimaginable love
between you two?
Or you were super-beautiful and we,
the ugly ones, have no right to live?
I’m just saying that you’re a big
girl, you won’t fit into the screen.
Where can one find such love as they
show in the movies? You invented it.
- How long do I have to wait?
- As if your life’s already passed.
And where’s love? Is it Zhenya? Or our
one-nighter daddy? Where to find it?
- The world is big.
- Oh, Jesus!
Why do some get all, like actresses -
love and looks, while others…
Stop moaning!
You’re young and healthy.
And what’s left for me? Just lie down
and die?
Have I had a heart attack? Yes.
Do I have high blood pressure? Yes.
I got no husband. So what? I have
raised you and kept our house.
You think I’m going
to live in your house?
I’ll go away from here!
I don’t want to live like you do!
Don’t even think of it! Never!
Look how other people live!
By the sea!
What do we need the sea for?
Good heavens! We don’t want it.
You’re my beauty!
You look lovely!
If I looked like you,
my life would have been different.
Look at me. Come on, look.
You got eyes, and eyelashes. Want me
to tell your fortune? By the book.
On the right. 7th line from top.
Three, four, five…
…the school is recruiting young…
What book did you get?
Handbook for the entrants…
Turn off the light.
Chatsky, come on.
It’s hardly morning:
here I’m down on my knees!
Take your ear out! Don’t you feel it?
Like this?
Once again.
It’s hardly morning:
here I’m down on my knees!
Now I can’t see your forehead!
Solomatina, you try. Sofia!
- I’m here!
- Where’s Sofia?
Solomatina!
I’m here.
Stand in the light.
Where do I begin? From the end?
Chatsky, do you see
how the light should be held?
You all see it? Smoke break.
I don’t smoke.
Well, if you want, I can smoke.
That’s it! To a god-forsaken place!
Your aunt’s! Near Saratov!
Wait. Let me do it!
Bravo, Nina!
Work out, girls.
Let me do it.
To a god-forsaken place!
Your aunt’s! Near Saratov!
Now, Solomatina.
Now, Grushina.
To a god-forsaken place!
Your aunt’s! Near Saratov!
All right, who’s smoking here?
Who smoked here?
What do you mean? You are smoking.
No, someone else was smoking.
- No.
- No! We don’t smoke.
You fools! No, not you.
- Take a seat, Vadim Arturovich.
- Thanks.
You’ll damage your voices,
and won’t be admitted anywhere.
It’s only Nina who wants
to enter a theatre school.
Do they admit only beautiful ones?
They need all kinds for movies, right?
Right. You better tell me
why boys don’t attend our studio?
- Oh, those boys! They’re stupid.
- With only hockey on their mind.
Vadim Arturovich, we’re finishing
school soon. Have to prepare for exams.
Never mind, I won’t be suffering with
you for long. I’m leaving for Minsk.
- No, don’t leave!
- And what about us?
You’ll be fine. In a year or two you
all will get married. Kids, pampers…
You won’t even think about
amateur theatre!
I can’t live without
amateur theatre.
Really.
When you return home from
the movies – it’s all the same again.
So boring! Mother is grumbling,
my brothers are whimpering,
and you can’t but dream
of a different life!
Tell us, is it true that Gurchenko
is married to Batalov?
Or to Smoktunovsky?
That Vadim Arturovich
actually is so backward.
Curtain has been cancelled everywhere,
and we still have act, curtain, scene…
In Moscow they all play just one act.
And there’s no stage. An actor
comes out and talks to the audience.
And they?
Who?
The audience. Do they talk too?
- Talk to whom?
- To the actors.
Are you stupid or what?
It’s not a bazaar.
I would like that. I would’ve asked
them how much they earn.
I guess they get thousands.
Are you thinking of becoming
an actor, too? Listen to me, then.
They don’t accept anyone
shorter than 6 feet.
And don’t hang about here.
I may stay overnight at grandma’s.
Seryozha, take my bag.
Take mine, too.
Bye!
- Hello.
- Hello.
- Where’s Grandma Zinaida?
- She’ll be right back.
Why are all these potatoes
scattered here?
Wait.
Wait a minute. One, two.
All right. Wait a minute.
All right. Just a minute.
- And where’s Grandma Zinaida?
- She’ll be back soon.
She’s either at the farm or at
at the store. Take a seat.
- At the store? It’s closed.
-Well, I don’t know.
How you doing here? Is it fun?
We ain’t complaining.
Is there any fish here?
I don’t fish, do I? Why do you ask?
But you’ve got the air here,
not like in Moscow.
Something to fill your lungs with.
Oxygen!
How do you say it?
Phosphorus burns in the air,
isolating…
- Anhydride.
- Anhydride there.
And my shoes make no do,
they let H2O through.
What’s interesting culturewise?
Theatres, museums, exhibitions?
Culturewise?
We’ve got nothing!
We got a traveling theatre, but during
the sowing campaign it’s in the field,
maybe in winter sometimes.
And they play only old stuff -
Shakespeare, Chekhov.
We have a studio at school.
We play “Woe from Wit”.
It’s in the 7th grade program. We also
played “Don’t Leave Your Lovers”
and “Valentin and Valentina”.
I was Valentina.
- And who was Valentin?
- Another girl.
- A girl?
- Boys don’t attend the studio.
Why are all these potatoes scattered?
I see you’ve already got acquainted.
Good for you! Now we’ll fix
some dinner!
The store is closed.
So I went to Antonina at her home.
I said I need it so much!
And she sold it to me. We just had
one glass, and there was no more.
We’ll do everything in a jiffy.
We haven’t been introduced yet.
We talked, but we’re not acquainted.
Solomatin, Mikhail Iosifovich.
What’s your name?
Nina.
What? What? I can’t hear.
I’m sorry.
You say you’re an amateur
actress, but I can’t hear you.
And you have a premiere coming.
Solomatin, Mikhail Iosifovich.
Designer.
Don’t you…
know about me?
Didn’t Grandma Zinaida
tell you anything?
Wait, wait. I think I remember now.
Sarah Bernhardt?
Oh no, excuse me.
Glikeriya Fedotova?
Solomatina, Nina Mikhailovna.
Such a big girl.
Well! We don’t get this occasion
every day, even not every year.
Such a guest!
My dear sonny!
Come on, sit down.
Sit down.
To our reunion.
I can’t believe my eyes,
seeing Mikhail at home.
A big, grownup man, with a mustache.
You be nice to Nina.
She’s my best help.
I’m getting old, sometimes
I can’t see the seam.
And she would pull
the basting thread out,
hem it
and even work buttonholes.
My darling children, to your meeting!
I found that chair!
Right here? All right, then.
There’re not enough hooks here.
What?!
Two loops for every hook? I see.
What? I don’t understand.
Here we are. We’ve brought it.
What?!
You don’t need it?
Write it on the paper. Here’s a pencil.
No poster? Why, my father
is a designer! I’ll be right back!
Dad, I thought you were already gone.
We need to draw a poster.
I think I’d better be going.
I’ve been waiting for you all day.
We need to draw a poster,
and you’re s designer.
None of us can draw,
and our Vadim Arturovich even got
hoarse because of his nerves.
- The sky is light tonight.
- Go on, tell me anyway.
But on a moonless night
you can see about 3,000 stars.
This constellation
has the biggest star.
Yeah.
Well?
And this is the star of lovers
and madmen – Arcturus.
See it?
Well?
Come on, Dad.
- You know what’s most interesting?
- What?
All stars have different
shine and color:
white, yellow, red.
And the redder a star,
the colder it is.
It’s interesting, isn’t it?
- I must make a confession.
- What?
Nowhere and never, in no city of
the world, you can believe me,
do stars shine so brilliantly
and so enchantingly
as in the town of your childhood.
I’ve realized this today.
Oh, you talk so interestingly!
It’s hot, isn’t it?
- You really liked the show?
- Yes, really.
The girls tried to do their best. Liza
even cried. We were really scared.
- Your briefcase fell.
- It’s all right.
- Will you come again?
- Of course I will.
I’ll come soon to apply for a theatre
school. Will you give me your number?
Yes, of course.
We weren’t to see mother.
You could see how we live.
- Is this the phone number?
- Yes.
- Home number?
- Yes, home number.
Thanks. I’ll call you as soon as
I arrive, Mikhail Iosifovich.
You address me officially again.
I’m just stupid.
Oh, the train!
Don’t forget your briefcase.
May I write to you?
I’m so silly, I didn’t ask you
about anything,
how you live, what you have.
I didn’t know you were like that.
I even despised you at first.
- Which car is yours?
- This one.
Daddy…
my dear, please come again,
don’t forget me!
I’m your daughter!
Daddy!
Daddy! Oh, what am I saying?!
Mikhail Iosifovich!
Fast train number 24 departing
from track two.
Here’s your ticket.
Daddy!
Daddy!
Daddy darling!
Come on, get out of here! You hear?!
Are you crazy?! What are you doing?!
- Leave her alone!
- I’ll get off at the next stop.
- The car’s full of inspectors!
- Leave her alone!
A whole gypsy camp came.
It’s just awful!
We observe hygienics all life,
but they never get mastitis.
Go on!
- Listen, dear…
- To the queue! Go in the queue!
They have babies in order to get
ahead of the queue. Go on!
- Mister, let us go.
- Stand in the queue like everybody.
They just have babies to get ahead
of the queue.
Why say that? They are kids. They
are not born not to stand in a queue.
- Then take them in your car.
- Everybody else stands in the queue.
- All right.
- Your car.
I’ll take them.
- Where to?
- Me? To the hotel.
- Which one?
- Any one.
What do you mean, any one?
If you have a reservation,
then tell me where.
“Golden Spike”, “Tourist”,
“Uzbekistan”?
I don’t know. It’s for a short time.
I’m not going to roll all over Moscow.
My shift ends in an hour.
Go straight ahead.
- You have nowhere to live?
- Yes, I have. At my father’s.
Turn left. You can stay with us.
In the camp?!
Why in the camp? In an apartment.
If you like, I can tell your fortune.
It’s only for two days.
- Where now?
- Around the corner.
Our folks are good,
they won’t take any money.
They’re so cute!
I’m Nina Solomatina.
And I’m Karma.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Here.
- Across the bridge, past the market.
- Chertanovo? Or Novogireyevo?
And I say to him:
if you love me, lay off.
You’re not my hero.
He’s short, shorter than I.
When I was leaving, he cried.
I say: how can I love you
if you’re such a crybaby?
But he just cried.
And my father is a bigwig.
But I don’t want to go to his place.
Who knows.
There’s his wife, Josephina Viktorovna.
His son, Dimka. He’s 12.
I’ll call them tomorrow.
Want to know why I came?
I’ll tell you.
I’m applying for a theatre school.
Though I don’t know yet.
Want me to tell your fortune?
I don’t believe in it.
Want me to tell yours?
Our girls tell it
if your wish is going to come true.
You think of a wish and I’ll tell you
if it comes true or not.
You thought of it?
All right. It’ll come true.
Is it true that you don’t work,
only steal?
I don’t believe it, but people
say you do.
Can you make it that everything
works out?
Yes, we’re going to bed.
Lie down.
- Shall I wash the dishes?
- Lie down!
- What happened?
- Nothing happened.
Are you leaving?
- Karma got married.
- And where’s Karma?
Where’s Karma?
Thrust themselves upon us.
Thrusting yourselves upon us!
- And where’s Karma?
- Ran away with her former husband.
This is Karmina! This is Karmina!
- What about the kids?!
- Don’t worry.
Thank you.
Goodbye.
Honey, it’s closed.
Go outside. I’m sorry,
Josephina Viktorovna.
Good morning.
I found the place. Very good,
only 10 minutes from the station.
- Is there any greenery?
- Yes.
Do you know if they’ve
finished the ground floor?
Isn’t this my rag?
Damn it! Cats everywhere!
- Honey, don’t be in the way.
- Take away your honey.
The house is in a hazardous state,
but they don’t lift a finger!
- Josephina Viktorovna, it’s for you.
- Yes, I hear.
- Do the Solomatins live here?
- Yes, here.
Then I came to you. I’m Nina. Hello.
Nina?
Are you Josephina Viktorovna?
My father was telling me about you.
- What father?
- I’m his daughter, Nina.
From Okhansk. He came to us in May.
What Okhansk? He went to…
Oh yes, to Okhansk.
- Come in.
- His mother lives there, Grandma Zina.
Was he alone in that Okhansk of
yours, or with his friends?
Alone. I thought he told you.
I deliberately hadn’t written,
wanted it to be a surprise.
To whom, do you think,
had he paid alimony?
And I hated him, can you imagine?
Not this way. Come in here.
I thought you had a whole
apartment or at least two rooms.
Who’s it on the picture?
We’ll soon get our own apartment.
It’s my father on the photo.
Put the flowers over there,
it’ll look good.
I spent the night with gypsies,
I thought they’d rob me.
I came to enter a theatre school.
Will you tell me where the GUM is?
They gave me a whole list.
To buy stilettos for the girls,
and a safri for Galka.
- What safri?
- It’s a dress.
- Safari.
- Really?
I speak like we do at home.
Want me to wash the floor?
I can do everything.
Want me to wash the windows?
Wait. You decided
to stay with us?
I can sleep by the door on a folding
bed. I slept on the floor with gypsies.
You see, Mikhail Iosifovich
is a reserved, secretive man.
He never told me
that he had a daughter.
I thought he was a parasite, too.
Then he came and we got acquainted.
I began to observe stars,
bought a lot of books.
You must be in a hurry for work?
Yes, I…
got to run. I’m leaving.
And I need to go to the GUM. Where
do you have some theatre school?
All right, I’ll fill it with water
and put the kettle on.
You get settled here.
Maybe you want to wash up?
No, I never wash my face.
Only with a lotion.
Why can’t you see stars
in Moscow at night?
Because there’s too much light?
- Perhaps. Shall we go in?
- Wow!
Well?
No. I’m not dressed and my hair’s
not done. It’s a wrong dress.
If I knew, I’d have put rollers on.
- How about a movie?
- Let’s just walk.
All right.
You’ve got a beautiful city,
like a foreign one.
What a great outfit! With a vest!
Would it look good on me?
Sure it would. When you get
enrolled in a theatre school…
- What if I don’t?
- You will.
I’ll buy you such outfit
and whatever girls wear.
- And boots.
- Okay.
How lucky I am! And a bag
over my shoulder.
You want it? All right.
You’re the best dad in the world!
Did anybody ever tell you that?
Dimka never told you that
because he’s a boy.
You’re just like from a movie.
- Is it Arabian eau-de-Cologne you got?
- What?
- I have no idea.
- I’m so happy, like in a dream.
Coffee is ready.
- Thank you.
- You’re welcome.
Please.
Thank you.
This is an early 18th.
- A late 17th.
- No, an early.
- A late.
- An early.
- But I know it.
- You think I can’t tell?
- And I’m not blind, am I?
- Let’s not argue.
- Tell me how you like my daughter?
- A fine girl.
When my Masha’s back,
they’ll be friends.
Actually, it’s an early 18th. One can
see it even with an untrained eye.
To hell with you.
I know it’s a late 17th.
- Shall I get her a job in the workshop?
- What workshop?
- Restoration.
- They need young people.
No, I came to enter a college.
Right, Dad?
How’s your work going?
On my book? There’re some drafts.
Next time I’ll show them to you.
You got talent, Misha.
Your father got talent,
but he ought to be reminded of that.
- Come on, admit it.
- Never.
You got me? I trust you
with your father.
He’s a rare man. We don’t have many
like him. There’s a great shortage.
But he should be told that every day.
You got it, young lady?
Yes.
Dad, you’re a talent!
You got it, young lady?
Don’t let your soul too much exert,
But let the soul be inert.
In order not to plough the sand,
The soul needs a lazy trend.
No, not like this!
Rally the ranks into a march!
Now’s no time to quibble or browse.
Rally the ranks into a march!
To quibble or browse it’s no time now.
What would be better: first a fable,
then a poem, or the other way round?
- Are you a travesty?
- I guess so.
- Then a fable.
- Will there be sketches?
Sure.
- And who’s that gray-haired one?
- She teaches the technique of speech.
- Are you studying acting?
- No, directing.
- What year?
- Second.
- What sketches will we do?
- How many will they admit?
- About 12-15 people.
- How many applicants for a vacancy?
I think, about 10.
What poems it’s better to read?
I mean, contemporary or classical?
How do you spell ‘autobiography’?
With ‘f’ or ‘ph’?
Of course, with ‘ph’. You stupid.
Where’re you going?! The final dance
exam is on here.
“QUIET! DO NOT ENTER!
The final dance examination is on!”
Girls, I swallowed so much
tranquilizers. I can’t think right.
You’re going to fall asleep, silly.
Pankratov. Pankova, get ready.
- What?
- Come on, tell us!
How was it? Tell us!
I came in and couldn’t see anything.
I left my glasses here.
My dear, why did you apply here
if you can’t see?
So what?
Ostuzhev was absolutely blind,
yet he was acting.
He wasn’t blind, he was deaf.
Solomatina. Sulkina, get ready.
- Solomatina!
- Solomatina!
Solomatina isn’t here?
- Solomatina!
- She was here a minute ago.
A Solomatina has disappeared.
Hurry, for God’s sake!
Let go! I thought someone was
holding it.
- Give me your bag!
- You’ve been called up!
Break a leg!
Sit down! I’m glad to see you.
Discard any fear, feel free
and show your hand.
The other day I was elected
king by popular demand.
Hold it. You’ve overwhelmed us.
Come here.
- Sit down! I’m glad to see you!
- Come here.
Sit down! I’m glad to see you!
Discard any fear…
Excuse me. Tell us your name
and step back.
More.
Good.
- Your name?
- Solomatina.
What?
I told you: Solomatina.
Nina Mikhailovna.
- What are you going to recite?
- Apukhtin. “Madman”.
Sit down. I’m glad to see you.
Discard any fear, feel free
and show your hand.
The other day I was elected king
by popular demand.
You know, I can also
sing and dance.
Later.
- They’ve taken you?
- No.
They said I got temperament,
but I talk awfully.
I talk like everybody does in life
in our Okhansk.
They say: life is one thing,
and art is another.
They named lots of letters,
half the alphabet.
K, L, M, N.
I know it.
They said: we won’t be able
to teach you anew.
- The little one, what did she say?
- She said no, we won’t be able.
Why teach me anew?
I’m not a baby, am I?
You ever heard people
on television talk like that?
That’s television, and I want
to act in theatre.
- They said I’m buzzing all the way.
- Like what?
I’m saying ‘zh”. I can not say it,
but everybody says so back home.
- So you argued with them, too?
- I was trying to prove.
In movies about village life,
everybody talks like that.
You’re twice a fool. Because you
argued and didn’t understand anything.
You better go to that old woman,
she teaches the technique of speech.
Her name is Yevdoksiya Ardoleonovna.
Can you remember?
Yes.
But say it right – Yevdoksiya, not
Yevdokiya, or she won’t speak to you.
Ask her what books you need,
how you should study.
Playact remorse, ask for
her advice. They love it.
She will be moved and give you
a good advice. You got it?
- Yes.
- All right, then.
Goodbye. See you in two days.
Yevdoksiya Ardoleonovna.
Yevdokiya Arleonovna!
I’ll roll you!
Just tell me
what books I should take.
I can not say ‘zh’.
Oh, look! They say…
Look, Yevdokiya Arleonovna!
Dad, I talked to the woman
who teaches how to speak.
She’ll give me textbooks.
And I will study.
Why not?
You see, Nina, we would
just like to know,
maybe we can help you buy a ticket?
- To go south, they’re hard to get.
- I’m not going home.
You know that we’re crowded here.
The living conditions are not good.
And you need to study.
I don’t need anything. Besides, we’ve
decided everything. Right, Dad?
Look at the way you sit!
Where are your elbows?
And how you’re holding the spoon!
Just look at yourself!
And pay attention to your hands!
As though you sat in garbage all day!
Sit straight!
You ought to be sent not to
a pioneer camp, but to a colony!
Why you just listen?
A normal boy would have understood
that he has to go and wash his hands.
Get out from the table! You dimwit!
You know where I’m going to work?
You’ll never guess.
Josephina Viktorovna? Dad?
At the “Zarya” firm.
What do they do?
Fixing watches?
No. It’s the services sector.
One girl told me.
You can baby-sit,
or take care of the sick.
No.
You will study and prepare for
the exams. We’ll manage somehow.
Don’t worry, Dad will rent
a room for me. Right, Dad?
Just for a year, I won’t need it
for more.
When I enroll, I can live
in a dormitory.
Yes, that’s my decision.
That’s my decision. Of course,
it will be hard, but we’ll manage.
We must try to.
Oh, just wait, Dad.
Daddy!
You’re just wonderful!
You rented it until next summer?
Oh, Dad!
Oh, Dad!
And what’s in there?
Oh! Just look!
Daddy!
Daddy! You’re just wonderful!
Look what I’ve got.
- What is it?
- Nuts. I practice like in the book.
- Are you really a director?
- So far, a 4th-year student.
And I was trying for a theatre school.
I failed, I speak wrong.
I’ll be trying again.
- How stuffy it is here!
- Let’s go to the kitchen and smoke.
I don’t smoke. It’s bad for your
vocal chords.
Nonsense. All our actresses
smoke like chimneys. Come on.
- Oh God! What’s this?
- It’s Karma. She has nowhere to live.
Nice apartment, only too far from
the center and no telephone.
- What’s your name?
- Nikita. And yours?
I’m Nina. Want some coffe?
It’s still warm.
Okay.
And I don’t have a place to live.
I clashed with my old folks for
good, and separated from my wife.
From your wife? Were you married?
Character incompatibility.
Got any sugar?
She lives in my room.
They turned me out.
- What do you mean, turned out?
- My parents.
They’re about to adopt her.
- Where do you sleep?
- Nowhere.
Stay here. Everybody sleeps here.
When the whoopee is over,
they all stay.
What’s over?
The whoopee.
- And who sleeps here?
- The guys. Tolik, for example…
I know only Tolik among those.
When I had exams, he comforted me.
The gypsies sleep. Karma here.
More coffe?
You should say ‘coffee’.
Moscow dialect.
Thanks. You do correct me.
Because I don’t know anything.
What?
What is it?
- Well? What?
- A bear on roller-skates!
- What?
- Oh, it’s busy.
- Let’s go, then.
- Look, a bear on roller-skates!
That’s some bear!
- I can roller-skate, too.
- You can do anything.
- Wait.
- We’re going to the subway.
- I know a shortcut here.
- What a bear!
- Nikita, something’s happened there!
A fire engine!
- You may kill somebody!
- We know what we’re doing.
Dimka, what happened? I’ve been
calling you and no one answered.
- We’ve got a new apartment.
- Where?
I don’t know.
Here, hold it.
Wait.
Hold it.
- What is it? A fire?
- You’re being demolished.
Dad is coming.
- Mom, Dad is coming!
- Misha, hurry up!
There’s a box with books
and a blanket here.
Dad! Hi!
Careful, these are Dad’s things.
My cat, Honey, is over there.
I can’t find her.
I gave her a sleeping pill.
What Honey? What the hell are
you talking about?
We got our hands full,
and everything’s an emergency.
Give it to me. And this.
A rat!
No, it’s a cat! I didn’t know
what to do with it.
It’s our Honey!
So Honey’s sitting in the bag,
she got hot
and put her head out…
Rat! Rat!
When will they turn on gas?
And there’s no water either.
Just imagine! 16th floor! How have
we managed to move all this up here?
- Right.
- Want some more?
We forgot a table on the 13th floor.
- Where?
- Where, where… On the 13th.
Are you serious?
Folks, is this your table?
Is it yours?
- Yes, ours.
- Thank God. I’ve asked everybody.
- And the mirror is intact.
- Please, to our housewarming.
- It was on the 13th floor, wasn’t it?
- Yes.
- Do you know when they’ll turn on gas?
- And the elevator?
Because, not to be late for work
tomorrow,
we’ll have to start walking down
today.
Dad, I need to talk to you.
- Do you?
- Yes.
- Your apartment is just like ours?
- Absolutely.
You brought us our table,
and I think I carried your bed.
Oh, Dad, the stars! Is this Sirius?
No, it’s Venus. Look
what a view we’ve got from here.
- The forest over there. See?
- And a lake.
Dad,
can you…
well, you know…
till the end… well, if you can…
You see, Nikita and I…
Did you like Nikita?
I think we’ll get married.
We need 100, just to start.
I withdrew it from my account
for moving over.
I thought it would be expensive,
but they moved us for free.
- Are you studying now?
- Yes, everything’s okay.
They have preparatory courses,
but the enrollment will be later.
Don’t worry, I’ll be alright.
Thanks.
Did you really like Nikita?
And who’s that?
That’s Dinka, a model.
My ex-wife.
- Wife?
- Why did you bring her?
We’re civilized people. Do we have to
punch each other if we’re divorced?
Where are you going?
To see her off. I’m spending
this night at my old folks’.
Just wait, I’ll show you!
I’m going to show you!
Let go of her!
Stop it!
- Stop your hysterics!
- You idiot!
Let go of her!
Let go, I said!
- They have a tantrum every day.
- It’s outrageous! Call the police.
And it’s not her apartment.
Calm down, calm down. Calm down!
Stop it!
Stop your hysterics!
Oh, my goodness!
That’s it! Calm yourself!
That’s it!
Are you calm now?
I’m leaving for good. Here, the keys.
I’m a free man.
I never loved you, and I never
said so.
We met, and that’s it. I was going
to come back to my parents today.
I’ll pay you back. I never forget
my debts.
That’s all I’ve got now.
Five kopecks for the subway.
And my toothbrush.
All right. That’s it. Bye.
- What’s this?
- A 5-minute break. A big one at 12.
Will we make it before they close?
Young man!
You’re after me. The girl is before.
- It’s me who’s before, you’re after.
- What do you mean?
Just that.
- Are you pawning a watch, girl?
- Yes.
- You think they won’t take it?
- They will, but just for nothing.
I’ve got a gold ring, too.
It’ll be about 10 rubles.
I see it’s your first time here?
You’d better not start, my dear.
It’s like a disease.
It sucks you in…
After my husband died,
I still can’t buy everything out.
It’s been three years already.
I buy out and then pawn again.
Here, look.
They give 25 rubles for it.
What are you staring at? Never seen us?
Now all our stuff will disappear.
That’s the end. We’ll never
make it now.
Let the pregnant woman come ahead.
If you want to dance, you have to pay.
Karma?
Karma!
Karma!
Where have you been all that time?
Karma.
All right. Enough for now.
Oh, I even got hungry.
I love Ukrainian sausage.
Karma, will you tell my fortune?
Nah, if I do, you’ll believe it.
And how will you live after that?
Come on, Karma. Maybe
everything turns out alright.
Maybe he just got pissed off?
Everybody has fights.
He left nothing, not even
his address. Do some fortune-telling.
Is that him?!
Oh, it must be Nikita.
What’s the matter? Oh, God!
Hello. I want to see
Mikhail Iosifovich Solomatin.
He doesn’t live here.
It’s interesting.
- And who lives here?
- I do.
- All right. I don’t know your name…
- I’m his daughter. You need him?
I rented this apartment
to get money.
I got it only for 1 month, though it’s
been 4. But I get complaints regularly.
I want my money for 3 months, and
I demand that you vacate the apartment.
Let’s go.
No. You, please, stay.
You’re not going anywhere,
or I’ll call the police.
He has paid until the summer.
- If he had, I’d return the odd money.
- He said I could live here…
He hasn’t given me any money,
and he can confirm it.
I have to call him.
How could it be?
I should have charged you
for the repairs.
I could never imagine that
debauches would take place here.
If we have to go to court,
I will testify about it.
- You’re not a child, my dear.
- I need to call him.
Oh, he doesn’t have a telephone!
That’s what I thought. Find a way out
of it yourself. The keys, please.
I’ve brought the money.
Here.
A quick witted cricket critic.
Can you can a can as a canner can
can a can? Can you can…
Hi, bear.
Can you can a can
as a canner can can a can?
Peter Piper picked a peck
of pickled peppers.
Peter Piper picked a peck
of pickled peppers.
A quick witted cricket critic.
A quick witted…
Peter Piper picked a peck
of pickled peppers.
A quick witted cricket critic.
Peter Piper picked a peck
of pickled peppers.
A peck of pickled peppers
Peter Piper picked.
Call me! Call me! Call me, please!
Call me now, I’m begging.
Send through time, like a light breeze,
Your voice to me, with telephone
ringing.
Stars are melting over Moscow.
Maybe I have no pride,
But I want to hear tonight
Your dear voice, a little husky.
Call me! Call me! Call me, please!
I don’t know what’s this all,
Without you the days are fleeting,
I’m begging, make a call,
Call me now, I’m entreating!
Try to reach me from afar,
Let your telephone ring deaden,
Like a thunder from the heaven
Over a chasm of many a star.
Call me! Call me! Call me, please!
If you just give me a clue
That you don’t hold me dear,
I’ll forget about you,
I can do it, I’ll shed no tear.
All this pain I can endure,
Alive and breathing I’ll remain,
I’ll be happy anyway,
Even if without you.
- Got a babysitting job? With Remizovs?
- Hello.
- How much do they pay you?
- Like everyone. 60 kopecks an hour.
Let me tell you a rhyme.
- Can you can a can…
- As a canner can can a can.
Masha, open the door.
Soldatenko with Nesterenko.
You seem not to hear it, of course.
Dear Alexander Timofeyevich!
Congratulations from the “Zarya” firm…
Hello, young lady.
Come in here.
Come on in.
How are you?
Come in here. Wait a second,
I’ll be right back.
On behalf of Soldatenko-Nesterenko,
we congratulate you on getting a prize.
Thank you.
The flowers and the cake are from them.
Well, well.
Do you know that your father has
been looking for you all over Moscow?
Is this the cake?
Yes. From Soldatenkova and Nesterenko.
Here’s the receipt, Sign it, please.
Here.
Dad, you’re on the phone again.
Don’t be long. Hello.
Where’s Misha’s number?
- What Misha?
- Solomatin. He left it somewhere.
I don’t know. Don’t occupy the phone.
Masha, go to the kitchen
and make us some tea.
Come on, move it.
Is it the drawing section?
Can you give me Solomatin’s number?
Solomatin.
Oh, I see.
- It turns out he has no telephone.
- I know.
Even if he had it, I don’t
want to call him.
You know we’re not allowed
to drink tea at clients’.
We got three more congratulations
on the other end of the district.
Wait. How and where
can I find you?
You don’t have to look for me.
I don’t disappear anywhere.
The elevator is out of service
Dispatcher, you got a panel
not working here.
- The elevator doesn’t work.
- Why didn’t you say so?
The panel doesn’t work.
The elevator doesn’t work.
Oh, God!
You won’t eat without bowing down.
What a city! The elevator doesn’t work.
The panel doesn’t work.
Oh-oh-oh!
Aunt Nina, oh-oh-oh!
Come on, come on.
Quiet, boys!
Kolia! Kolia!
Kolia! Kolia, where are you?
- Kolia, my dear boy.
- What are you doing, ma’am?
- Come here.
- I’m here, Aunt Nina.
Go away, guys.
Where’s your galosh? Here it is.
Tell your mom to buy you
new galoshes.
Why?
Because one galosh is bigger
than the other.
I’m not sure, but they may buy them.
Good. Get up.
Give me your nose.
- Mine, too!
- All right, yours, too.
Kolia! Kolia, come back!
Ludmila Filippovna, it’s me.
I can’t hear you. What?
Bolshaya Ordynka… Try to remember.
House 43, apartment 5.
House 43, apartment 5.
Just look at you, such a young mother.
Your son is just
a spitting image of you.
It’s for me.
I’m coming. Where’re my glasses?
Are you from “Zarya”?
Come in, please.
Wipe your feet, boy.
Nikita, close the door.
I just wanted to know
what kind of work you got.
Walking the dog. Nikita,
let Lord out of the bathroom.
Do some shopping
and clean the apartment.
Mother, we don’t need anyone.
I can walk Lord myself.
You have your exams.
As for shopping,
someone of us can do it.
You mean Lyuda?
We’ll die of starvation
before you go shopping.
Yes, Lyuda can do it.
Go to your Lyuda
and don’t meddle in housekeeping.
Here’s the list and the money.
Come back tomorrow with groceries.
That’s how it always happens.
- Shall I serve the chicken?
- Yes.
All right, to the left.
Sorry, to the right.
How are you doing?
- How are you doing here?
- Go away, you’ll break all dishes.
Who cares about dishes?
- Nina, let’s go and dance?
- Of course.
Me?
Right. It’s not serfdom
we have here.
Go.
Wait.
Everything is just fine.
Do you enjoy seeing my mug?
I’m working here.
Is this some kind of revenge?
You stick around here from morning
till night. Trying to blackmail me?
It’s my own five-year plan.
You can take a day off tomorrow.
I’ll arrange it with mother.
Whatever a client wishes,
the firm provides.
Payment is through the firm.
You got quite adept at it.
An actress.
Quite adept at spoiling people’s life.
No one can outsmart you, right?
What if I report to your firm
that you stole money from us?
What will your firm do then?
Nina!
Nina!
I’m sorry, it was stupid of me.
You think it’s easy for me seeing you
every day? I stopped sleeping at night.
I keep recalling how we lived
together, how we carried those things.
That Gypsy who lived at your place.
Where’s she?
I’m not angry.
Everything’s burned out.
But I can’t stop coming to you
even if I want to.
Besides, I don’t care.
Honest.
Excuse me, I got to go.
I’m in a hurry.
Hello? Is this the “Zarya” firm?
Ludmila Filippovna, it’s me.
Yes, I remember. At 10 sharp.
What do I have to do?
No, I can’t go shopping.
Washing the windows is okay.
But only on Mondays.
I’m working at the Music Hall.
Tell me the address.
Serpukhovskaya 23, apartment 2.
I’ll call you later.
Miss!
You ought to pick up things after you!
- Who’s next?
- What? Ah, the bear. Over there.
- Kuzya.
- Standing at the ready.
Hi.
Katya, get ready. We’re going next.
Pardon.
- Quiet!
- Katya, stop it, we have to perform.
Oh, you bear! I can roller-skate,
but not as good as you!
Why not on the stage? Are you late?
I’m Sinyagin, the new administrator.
- I’m an assistant costumier.
- Why roller-skates then?
- What roller-skates?
- You said you could roller-skate.
- Did you say that?
- Yes. When?
Just now. Why roller-skates?
I’m talking to you.
- I can roller-skate.
- And you say you’re a costumier.
Are you a costumier or an actress?
- You can roller-skate, can’t you?
- Me?!
- Stop shouting! Can you?
- Me?!
- You said so.
- Yes, I can.
- The bear got diarrhea.
- Kuzya?
He ate a cake. Those already started,
we can’t stop them. Get dressed.
- Who? Me?
- You! You!
Don’t worry, we got a bear!
Solomatina, come here!
Get her!
Get her! Lift her! Come on!
Where are you going?!
Crawl back!
Crawl back!
Crawl back!
Come here, I said!
Come here!
Run!
Run!
INFORMATION
“To fire P.A. Sinyagin and
N.M. Solomatina.”
I’ll open up.
- Hello.
- Hi.
Father is not home. He’ll be late.
Hi.
Hi.
I have to tell you something.
Venus?
Sirius.
I came to pay my debt,
not to borrow.
No, keep it.
I’m your father.
That’s all.
Why, Nina?
Goodbye.
I’ve earned this money.
If you want, I may call you sometime.
- Hello.
- Hello.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Hello.
- Here’s the laundry.
- Thank you.
The boots from repairs.
They’ve done a good work.
I’ve bought everything.
The wrong bag.
You know, it’s the wrong bag.
I…
I wanted to…
I don’t know how to say it.
You see, I…
- Would you like to have a smoke?
- I don’t smoke.
Could you…
stay with Kolia today?
We’re getting divorced with Katya.
Could you stay with Kolia?
Yes, sure. Oh, God.
- Why are you…
- It’s a long story.
Why? What about Kolia?
He must get used to difficulties.
I’ll have Kolia.
That’s how we agreed.
- But she’s his mother.
- Does a father mean nothing?
Yes, I’ll stay with Kolia.
Only I have to buy cottage cheese
for one old woman.
I mean I bought it already,
but I have to take it to her.
I’ll take it.
Thanks.
Could you come with me
to the theatre or movies tonight?
Kolia will stay with my mother.
She’s free in the evening.
Let’s go to the theatre.
Are you free tonight?
I need it very much.
Yes, I’m free. It so happens
that tonight I’m free.
Thank you.
I love these piroshki,
especially in the frost.
Me, too.
They’re delicious.
I love them with rice, with meat.
I love eating in the frost.
Do you?
Get in the bus, Santa Clauses!
Snow maidens!
Snow maidens!
- Where will you meet the New Year?
- Me?
- Let’s have more piroshki.
- Okay.
Thanks.
I haven’t decided yet where
I’ll meet the New Year.
Where do you live? You have
relatives here?
My father. But I don’t live with him.
I live in a school. The janitor
lets me have a whole classroom.
- A classroom?
- Right.
She needs some help in the yard,
especially in winter, when it’s slushy.
- She lets you a classroom?
- Yes, she does.
Only I have to come after 10.
When they had a holiday ball,
I walked in the streets until 12.
Yes.
- Where do you sleep there?
- I have a folding bed.
It’s warm in there.
An idiotic city, we couldn’t get
anywhere.
A very good city, and it’s good
that we didn’t get anywhere.
What time is it? It’s going
to be very slippery.
Hold on to me!
I told you to hold on to me.
That’s some speed! Supersonic!
- It’s my fault. I knocked you down.
- No, it’s me who couldn’t hold you.
Here’s your hat, here’s mine.
It was awfully slippery there!
Oh, this is your hat,
and this is mine.
What were we talking about?
What time is it, right?
It’s going to be slippery here.
Hold on to me!
- Did you hurt yourself?
- No.
We almost fell again.
Yes, it was some walk.
- I had such rides only as a child.
- I’m home.
You have to go to Kolia.
I’ll come at 10 tomorrow.
- Goodbye.
- Goodbye.
Goodbye.
Just imagine, we fell all of a sudden.
OKHANSK
- Who is it? Oh, my God!
- It’s me, Mom.
I don’t turn off the light.
I’m afraid.
I’m afraid I’ll die without you.
I’m sick all the time.
See what I’m taking?
This medicine costs 10.50.
Virspon or something.
Verospiron.
If it’s expensive,
it will help.
As for the money, we’ll earn it.
I can do everything now.
I can be a cook, and a nurse,
and work in a kindergarten.
We’ll get you well in no time.
You know how many friends I have?
They will send us any medicine.
It’s nothing. How are you?
You didn’t write, so I thought
everything was all right.
I got your money regularly,
twice a month.
Women said, if you earn a lot,
that means you’re all right.
Right. I’m fine.
You’ve come for long?
Or just for the holidays?
Mom, I’ve missed you so much.
I’m not going away.
Don’t cry, Mom.
I’m back.
I’m crying
because you’re different,
I can’t recognize you.
Come on, I’m the same.
You must have forgotten.
What are you saying!
How can I forget?
I’ve got no one but you and
Grandma Zinaida. She’s sick, too.
Are you on a sick leave, Mom?
Me? No. I’ll get up now.
Why sick leave?
I’m going to make us coffee.
- No, don’t get up.
- What time is it?
About six.
Lie down. There you go.
You look beautiful, Mom.
And very young.
You almost got no wrinkles.
When do you have to go to work?
I’ve left the industrial complex.
I get too tired there.
Where do you work now?
So far I’m on a disability leave.
I’ll go to work when I get well.
They’re offering me to work at home.
- Why am I lying down?
- No, no, stay in bed.
There you go. Good.
Are you comfortable?
- What did you do in Moscow?
- I’ll tell you everything later.
You’re grownup already.
An actress.
I watched a show on television.
I thought: where’s my Nina?
Maybe they’re going to show her?
I’ll tell you everything.
What films I’ve seen, what people
I’ve met. You just lie down, okay?
I was away from home for so long.
You know what we’ll do?
We’ll celebrate the New Year.
I’ll bring a fir tree from the park.
No, you can’t take it from the park.
Then from somewhere else.
We’ll celebrate the New Year
better than anyone else.
- We should invite Grandma Zinaida.
- We shall.
We’ll bake pies, we’ll watch
television, and have fun.
And I’ll tell you everything.
But now go to sleep.
Or we’ll feel sleepy,
and sleep through the New Year.
They say you’re going to live
the whole year the way you meet it.
Are you going to be an actress?
No.
I haven’t got enough talent.
- Well, not all become actresses.
- What, then?
How about working in our complex?
We need people.
Maybe.
Don’t worry. I’ll be all right.
Go to sleep.
And what is Moscow like?
Moscow?
There’re big houses in Moscow.
- Really?
- They keep fir trees outside windows.
Really?
And snow, snow, snow…
They pour salt on it, and it melts.
Melting, melting, melting…
And again our tune
Over Earth made a call.
The bright light came down in a stream.
That fantastic, good light
Is the beginning of all -
Of our life and of our dream.
May the light in your eyes
never dim or depart.
I wish all of you only good luck.
I sincerely wish that your life and
your heart
Never lose that vigorous spark.
We have fallen in love
with this holiday light.
Let the years just fly over Earth.
But the dream and the love,
as the holy spring rite,
We’ll forever preserve for its worth.
May the light in your eyes
never dim or depart.
I wish all of you only good luck.
I sincerely wish that your life and
your heart
Never lose that vigorous spark.
There she goes!
There she goes!
I thank you, life,
for every day I see,
For children growing,
for the grain that’s full of ears.
I thank you, life,
for all those dear to me
That live in this wide world of ours.
I thank you, life,
for this generous age
Reverberating in me with joy and pain,
For the multitude of roads
that we can take and change,
And our own selves remain.
For being a river that knows no bounds,
For every winter, and for every spring,
For all my friends, and even
for my foes,
I thank you, life, thank you for
everything!
For the tears and the happiness
you give,
That I was not someone you showed
pity for,
For every moment that I live,
But not for the one when I’m no more.
I thank you, life, for being in debt
to you,
For the strength I had and still will
need,
For everything I will be able to do,
I thank you, life, thank you, indeed.
For being a river that knows no bounds,
For every winter, and for every spring,
For all my friends, and even
for my foes,
I thank you, life, thank you for
everything!
For the tears and the happiness
you give,
That I was not someone you showed
pity for,
For every moment that I live
But not for the one when I’m no more.
THE END
M. Gorky Film Studio
1981