PETE ON THE WAY TO HEAVEN

The small town of Kandalaksha in 1953: traffic cop Petya keeps things under control. He has an open ear for the townspeople’s concerns and carries out spot-checks. His bashful charm makes him popular. He lives at home with his mother, and has cast an eye on Irina, a physician who’s married to police captain Boguslavsky. Although Irina’s marriage gives her security, she finds life rather dull, and is attempting to liven things up with an affair with the Jewish surgeon Leonid. Yet, no matter how friendly the townspeople are to Petya, there’s always an undercurrent of something else. His affliction with Korsakov’s syndrome is noticeable in his fluctuating moods and lapses of memory. Hardly able to remember what happened a moment ago, Petya fills in the gaps with fantastic inventions. In this town too, the death of Stalin and the ensuing political turmoil leave their mark.