Patient#1

About the film

Late USSR. The General Secretary lies in the government clinic. He is old and frail, but has a tight grip on power. “The power is taken, it is never given away,” he repeats. And various groups are scoring their political points while the “body” is alive. Sasha, a fragile invisible nurse bears a heavy burden of responsibility for the life of the “sentenced to life” official.

• Written by

  Aleksandr Rodionov, Rezo Gigineishvili

• DOP

  Piotr Bratersky

• Starring

  Aleksandr Filippenko, Olga Makeeva, Sergey Gilev, Igor Chernevich, Inna Churikova, Vladimir Steklov, Maria Shalaeva, Irina Kupchenko

• STUDIOS

  Independent Film Project

Press

• ‘Patient #1,’ About a Soviet Leader’s Fall From Power, Wins Werner Herzog Film Award.

  Variety

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• The German director is championing Georgian film-maker Rezo Gigineishvili’s movie about the dying days of the USSR.

  The Guardian

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• “The latest film from Georgian-born director Rezo Gigineishvili (Hostages) is a mirthless farce, a striking and all-too-pertinent tragicomic study of decaying power structures and the desperate, behind-the-scenes wrangling of a failing state”.

  Screendaily

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• “A complex, multi-layered metaphor of seemingly old times that still feel very true and relevant, while masterfully orchestrating a wonderful ensemble of actors”.

  Film News Europe

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• With his latest feature, Rezo Giginieshvili has something to say about the past, the present and the never-changing nature of power that cannot be given away.

  Cineeuropa

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• “Creepy allegory of Soviet authoritarianism and political delusion is aesthetically and narratively compelling”.

  DMovies

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