Lastochki prileteli

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. Its unclear just why Pik seems so sickly, though by midpoint we realize hes 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 features melancholy, meditative aura.