Russia / 2013 / 177 min. / language – Russian / b&w / Dolby Digital

Director Alexei German

Script Alexei German, Svetlana Karmalita

Camera Vladimir Ilyin, Yuri Klimenko

Design Sergey Kokovkin, Georgy Kropachev, Elena Zhukova

Music Viktor Lebedev

Cast: Leonid Yarmolnik, Yuri Tsurilo, Natalia Moteva, Alexander Chutko, Evgeny Gerchakov

Producers Rushan Nasibulin, Viktor Izvekov

Production Sever Studio with participation of TV channel “Russia 1”, Lenfilm Studio

The movie is based on the Strugatsky Brothers’ novel of the same name. Distant future. Several researchers set off from the Earth to the planet Arkanar. The inhabitants there lives in the Middle Ages. The aim of the scientists is to cautiously steer the alien society along the humanist path. The complexity of the task is related to the code of rules. They have no right to openly interfere with the life on another planet. They have no right to take sides. They cannot kill. But in the whirlwind of bloody developments the protagonist Rumata Estorsky makes his choice to save local “bookworms” from perdition. Disregarding the rules he stops being a mere observer.

ALEXEI GERMAN

1938–2013

Born in Leningrad. In 1960 graduated from the Leningrad State Institute of Theatre, Music and Film (class of G.Kozintsev). Since 1964 worked as a director at Lenfilm Studio. Founder and art director of the Studio of First Experimental Film in St. Petersburg. Was a professor at the Higher Courses for Scriptwriters and Film Directors in Moscow. Winner of state awards and prizes, prizewinner of prominent national and international film festivals. His filmography includes “The Seventh Companion” (1967, with G.Aronov), “Check-Up on the Roads” (1971–1985), “Twenty Days Without War” (1976), “My Friend Ivan Lapshin” (1984), “Khrustalyov, My Car!” (1998). The director was awarded (postmortem) the Special Award for the Outstanding Contribution to the World Film Art at the VII Andrei Tarkovsky International Film Festival “Zerkalo”.