Zmey (The Kite)

Muradov found his inspiration for this film in a newspaper item. In the 1990s, in a provincial Russian community where concepts of perestroika have not yet penetrated, a middle-aged man marches through a daily routine. His relationship with his much younger wife offers precious little comfort; he only lives for his small son Dimka. Although sickly and in desperate need of an operation, Dimka longs to fly kites. In this frail child the man invests all his reserves of gentleness, love and humanity - qualities that few others ever witness. For when playtime is over, the adoring father dons a uniform and goes to his job. He works as a state torturer and functionary, frequently called upon to enforce the death penalty. The Kite is a soulful ode to the contradictions in one man, as the film's stoic protagonist endures routine horror, death and deprivation, while passionately hoping for an instant of transcendental beauty and redemption.