WHERE ARE WE HEADED

Belarus, Russia / 2021/63’

DIRECTED BY: Ruslan Fedotow

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Ruslan Fedotow

EDITED BY: Liza Kozlova, Ruslan Fedotow

SOUND: Andrey Dergachev

PRODUCERS: Nastia Korkia, Ruslan Fedotow, Matvey Fiks for Pinery, Simon Zakruzhnyy for Pinery, Alex Zyablikov for Pinery

FESTIVALS AND AWARDS: IDFA 2021 – International Competition / Best Cinematography Award, Best First Film Award, DocPoint Helsinki Documentary Film Festival – The Best International Documentary Award

In Moscow, everything and everyone comes together in the underground corridors of the subway. An accordionist dressed as Santa Claus talks to a troubled passenger about Dostoevsky, the universe, and the Russian soul; people sing in the New Year with gusto; and a vendor tries in vain to sell his giant balloons. Against background music of screeching and clanking train noises, we voyeuristically witness all that happens here—from details such as a flashing light bulb or a sleeping child, to a spontaneous dance with a street musician or a fiery political discussion.The Moscow Metro corridors are like a society without daylight, a no-man’s-land in which it hardly seems to matter where anyone is headed.

Ruslan Fedotow (1988) – born in Belarus, living and working in Moscow. Ruslan finished Belarus Academy of Arts with a speciality as director of photography and Moscow School of New Cinema. His mid length documentary debut Salamanca was premiered in IDFA 2015 and in Hot Docs 2016.