Synopsis

The film is devoted to Russian emperor Peter the Great, who lived in the late 17th and 18th centuries and brutally westernized the country. He aspired to build a great empire and considered this goal worth paying any price. Centuries have passed since his reign, but the last events show us that his bloody dream still contaminates people's minds in Russia. The weird heritage of the distant past is haunting us like a shitty horror under its familiar mythologized disguise. And glorious pictures of glorious historical figures encourage modern cosplayers to bring this horror into our present.

Sasha Svirsky

Sasha Svirsky was born in 1980 in Soviet Runo village, USSR. He graduated in painting. He uses animation as an artist's tool, unlocking the potential for visual experiments and creating philosophical narratives and essays. His films have been presented among others at Berlinale and got numerous awards. He works in collaboration with his partner Nadya Svirskaia. Since 2022 he has been based in Berlin. In 2024 he received the German Short Film Award for the Dull Spots of Greenish Colours as the best animation film.