CIFF47: PSQ March 22 – April 1, 2023 | Streams April 2 – April 9, 2023

The Humorist

Year: 2019
Country: RUSSIA, LATVIA, CZECHIA
Language: Russian
Run Time: 101 minutes

The Humorist
The Humorist
The Humorist
The Humorist

Boris Arkadiev is a stand-up sensation in the Soviet Union. Everywhere he goes, adoring fans flock to the comedian asking him to do his signature (government approved) acts. A favorite of the KGB, Boris is carted from venue to venue, with no say over where or when he will perform. From cosmonaut emergencies to KGB birthday parties to elite bath houses, Boris must play the humorist everywhere he goes, whether he likes it or not. Physically and mentally exhausted from the prison of his success and fed up with Soviet censorship, Boris slowly begins to unravel, taking increasingly big risks during his performances. As he rebels against the U.S.S.R. with new Americanized insult humor, Boris pushes the boundaries of acceptable stand-up... eventually finding himself in dangerous territory. A slick satirical comedy, THE HUMORIST explores the conflicting forces of government, humor, and willpower under Communist rule. (In Russian with subtitles) — G.S.

CIFF44 Screenings

Wednesday, April 01, 2020 at 11:45 AM

Thursday, April 02, 2020 at 4:00 PM

Wednesday, April 15, 2020 at 11:00 AM -
Tuesday, April 28, 2020 at 10:00 PM

Cedar Lee Theatre 2

Saturday, April 04, 2020 at 6:45 PM

Accessibility (?)
Closed Captions: No
Audio Description: No
English Subtitles: No

Competition
George Gund III Memorial Central and Eastern European Competition

Director

Director
Michael Idov

Producers
Artem Vasilyev, Andrey Saveliev, Aija Bērziņa, Alise Ģelze, Artemio Benki

Screenwriting
Michael Idov

Cinematography
Alexander Surkala

Editing
Michal Lánský

Principal Cast
Aleksey Agranovich, Yuri Kolokolnikov, Alisa Khazanova, Pavel Ilyin, Artem Volobuev

Film Contact

Community Partner

Cleveland Comedy Festival

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