Elena Zabolotskaya

Movies

The Restless Garden
Editor
Summer 1991. The last days of the Soviet Empire. Dark clouds gathered over Moscow as the Soviet government prepared to turn back the clock of history. While the world focused on the crashing Soviet Empire, this film focuses on the people who would've been among the first to suffer repression - the women and men who have broken sexual taboos in a consummate act of liberation against a rigid, crippled world. This is a view from their vantage point, unveiling the shadow-side of Soviet culture in the wake of the revolution, where the real provocative nudity is the nakedness of the soul.
How Dark the Nights Are on the Black Sea
Editor
In this farcical dark comedy/melodrama, Lena manages to lose her place at college by virtue of throwing a minor hissy-fit when she catches her erstwhile boyfriend in bed with another girl. Instead of penalizing the boy for his behavior, Lena gets stuck with a court appearance and must pay a small fine, in addition to losing a boyfriend, her college career, and an apartment. Lena belongs to a film club which occasionally hands out awards, and the membership of it decides to send her into the Russian hinterlands to hand out an award to an obscure filmmaker. Throughout the film, Lena has been associated with a bizarre con man named Stepanych who, when his cons fall through, comes to her in the distant town she has gone to seeking her help in committing suicide.
Little Vera
Editor
A story about a young woman, Vera, who is somebody, living the life of a troubled teenager in the time right before the end of the Soviet Union. She lives in a very small Russian apartment with her mother and father, however being this close to each other makes the living get rough. Their daily life is plagued with massive amounts of alcohol (mainly vodka) and when she tries to escape her home life, she meets up with a boyfriend, Sergei who then moves into her already small apartment after sleeping with her. Every day little Vera has to go through hell just to get by, which even involves her going against her own morals after her father has done something extremely wrong.
We, the Undersigned
Editor
The main events unfold in the train. The acceptance committee from Moscow, revealing deficiencies in the constructed bakery, did not sign the act of its delivery. But the fate of not only many people associated with the construction, but also the life of the town as a whole depends on this. Lyonya Shindin — a conscientious and decent man — is trying by all means and by any means to change the decision of the commission...
When I Will Become a Giant
Editor
Eight-grader Petya Kopeikin, despite his short stature and nondescript appearance, is constantly in the spotlight. Petya is noble, witty, well versed in literature, he writes wonderful poems. Kopeikin has long been secretly in love with his classmate Masha Goroshkina, and she is passionate about the new student from 9 "A" Kolya Kristallov. Masha tells Petya about her feelings and asks him to hand over a note to Kolya. Deeply worried from unrequited love, Petya not only doesn't stand in the way of a happier rival, but even helps him win Masha's heart. He wants to prove that courage and honor were not only inherent in the times of “musketeer” novels, but exist in our time. Petya chooses to follow the example of the hero of the famous play Edmond Rostan and in his actions copies Cyrano de Bergerac.