The circus burnt out and all the clowns took a run

Written by: Vladimir Bortko
Directors of Photography: Sergei Lando, Yevgeni Shermergor
Production Designer: Vladimir Svetozarov
Music by: Vladimir Dashkevich
Sound Producer: Natalya Avanesova
Costume Designer: Marina Nikolayeva
Film Editor: Leda Semyonova
Producer: Aleksandr Golutva
Produced by: “Lenfilm”, NTV-PROFIT, Studio “2-B-2”, the State Cinema Committee of the Russian Federation
Cast: Nikolai Karachentsov, Zinaida Sharko, Nina Ruslanova, Tatyana Vasileva, Mariya Shukshina, Tanya Yu, Kseniya Kachalina, Sergei Dontsov (Dreiden), Roman Gromadsky, Rudolf Furmanov, Andrei Makarov, Pyotr Zaychenko

Synopsis

A film director Nicolay Hudokormov is on the eve of his fiftieth birthday. He has a rich life full of events under his belt: artistic quests, numerous marriages, children who have become alienated. It seems that Nicolay crossed the line and everything appears to be insignificant, uninteresting and incurious. It's all over the hill now. He is broke, he is indifferent to his own life and his old mother is almost insane living in some other world. But one thought haunts Nicolay’s mind. He must shoot his best film. And though the scenario exists only in his mind, he believes that it will be a remarkable film.

Like a drowning man tries to catch at a straw, Nicolay is searching for money for the project. Despite the fact that he is debt, the film director is hoping against hope. Recently a fine stranger has been following Nicolay relentlessly. The beautiful young woman carries on vague conversations trying to convince Nicolay in the frailty and meaninglessness of life. Nicolay, at last, understands that this stranger is Death...

Awards:

1998:TheOpen Russian Film Festival “Kinotavr” – “Best actress” (Zinaida Sharko), M. Tariverdiev Prize for the “Best music to the film” (Vladimir Dashkevich)
1998: The Russian Film Festival "Window to Europe" – Jury Special Prize
1998: TheFilm Festival “Love Cinema!” (A. Khanzhonkov & Co.) – “Lumière Bronze Medal”

Nominations:

1998: The Nika Award of the Russian Academy of Cinema Arts and Sciences – “Best film music” (Vladimir Dashkevich)
Participation in festivals
1998: The Open Russian Film Festival “Kinotavr”, Sochi
1998: The Russian Film Festival "Window to Europe" in Vyborg
1998: TheFilm Festival “Love Cinema!” (A. Khanzhonkov & Co.), Moscow
1998: The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Czech Republic
1998: The International Film Festival “Festival of Festivals”, St. Petersburg