Chelovek, kotoryy udivil vsekh (original title) / 2018 / drama / 1h 45min /
written by Aleksey Chupov, Natalya Merkulova / directed by Aleksey Chupov, Natalya Merkulova /
country: Russia | France | Estonia / language: Russian with English subtitles
* Streaming Soon
“Egor, a forest ranger in Siberia, finds out he has terminal cancer. He accepts his prognosis and prepares for the inevitable. His wife (Natalia Kudryashova), who is expecting another child, begs him to visit a shaman, who relates a Russian folktale about a creature who fooled fate by disguising itself. Therefore, Egor decides to disguise himself and dress as a woman. Dressing as a woman in a Siberian village is an audacious move that is way beyond the comprehension of the locals, and worst of all, his son and wife, who are mortified. Does he want to fool death? Will being ostracized help him accept death, or will he prevail? The more people react to him, the more he persists. Actor Yevgeny Tsyganov as Egor is stubbornly and stoically brilliant in his portrayal of the brazen forest ranger. This role deservedly won him Best Actor at the 2019 Russian Nikas, an award which he shared with Aleksey Serebryankov for Van Goghs, which is also playing at this year’s SIFF. Directorial team Natasha Merkulova and Aleksey Chupov’s brave film comes at a time of sanctioned homophobia in Russia. No doubt, the directors’ film surprised many in its statement of resistance and love.” (Maryna Ajaja, SIFF.net)
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