The Humorist

This fictional biographical drama shows a week in the life of a prominent Soviet stand-up comedian, Boris Arkadiev. Boris chose the conformist path that allows him to perform in public, but it also destroys him from the inside. This directing debut by Mikhail Idov, who is behind the screenplay for Summer, a film about iconic Soviet bands, once again addresses the issue of preserving one's inner freedom and integrity under a totalitarian regime.