Swallows Have Arrived

Overview

Pale, thin, cold-sweating Pik (Khugaev) teaches literature at the local university to students so indifferent they play cards and take phone calls while he lectures. "The hell with you,” he says, walking out mid-class. It’s unclear just why Pik seems so sickly, though by midpoint we realize he’s a heroin addict in withdrawal. Broke, alienated, shunned by his dealer, he searches for a fix or any other salvation, sharing his bleak thoughts in voiceover. Attractive lensing and spare piano/ambient sound score abet the feature’s melancholy, meditative aura.

Cast

Irlan Khugaev

Soslan Tsalagov

Leyla Tebloeva

Marat Dzagurov

Artur Khatagov

Vyacheslav Guriyev

Soslan Makiev

Tigran Kaitmazov

Zemfira Galazova

Elina Zakharova