HOW I ENDED THIS SUMMER
aka KAK YA PROVEL ETIM LETOM
Year: 2010
USA: Film Movement
UK: New Wave Films
Cast: Grigori Dobrygin, Sergei Puskepolis, Igor Chernevich, Ilya Sobolev, Artyom Tsukanov
Director: Alexei Popogrebsky
Country: Russia
Language: Russian (English subtitles)
USA: 130 mins
UK: 124 mins
UK Certificate: 12A contains infrequent strong language and moderate threat
USA Release Date: 28 January 2011 (Limited Release)
UK Release Date: 22 April 2011 (Limited Release)
Synopsis
Based on a deserted Russian Arctic island, two men work conscientiously at a small meteorological station taking regular readings, which are relayed to headquarters via radio â€" their only bridge to the outside world.
Sergei (Sergei Puskepolis), a gruff man in his fifties, is experienced in this job, which has become more of a routine. During the years he has spent in extreme isolation, he has learned to take this task very seriously. His new work partner is Pavel Danilov (Grigori Dobrygin), a young college graduate assigned to spend the summer at the station. The two men have little in common, with Pavel sticking to the company of his MP3 and video games to avoid the bullish, vaguely threatening presence of Sergei.
The balance tips one day when Sergei leaves his post to go fishing for trout in a nearby lagoon. He has entrusted Pavel to do the readings and radio them through to headquarters as required. Inexperienced Pavel misses the appointed reading time and falsifies the logs to cover it up. Worse yet, there is terrible news for Sergei from HQ.
Intimidated and uneasy, Pavel keeps quiet, unable to bring himself to share the distressing news with Sergei. When the truth finally emerges, its inevitable consequences play out against a desolate backdrop of thick fog, sharp rocks, crashing waves, and the Arctic Sea …
Winner - 2 Silver Bears Berlin Film Festival 2010:
* Best Actor (Grigory Dobrygin and Sergei Puskepalis)
* Outstanding Artistic Contribution (DoP Pavel Kostomarov)
Golden Hugo - Best Film Chicago Film Festival