Synopsis

Slightly overweight and awkward-looking Mikhail is a conscientious man. One day, when he is hunting birds with his trusty dog, a gangster named Andrei jumps out of the bushes and steals the car of the honest citizen. As the criminal is pursued by several trigger-happy guys, Mikhail has no choice but to go off with him. From this point on, the unlikely duo is on the run together – initially on four wheels. After the terrain gets increasingly rough and their car gets bogged down in a swamp, they are forced to continue their flight on food, across fields, rivers and forests – with their pursuers always on their heels. This breath-taking hunt quickly turns the film into a honest-to-god thriller. However, as the story unfolds, an unusual friendship characterised by extreme opposites evolves between the two, discussions about life, religion and family included. The centrepiece of Yuri Bykov's sophisticated screenplay is the skilfully crafted dialogue between the protagonists, which allows deep insights into their inner life. To Live!is a fascinating study of the behaviour of people who are suddenly forced to fight for bare survival. “An impressively confident feature debut” (Variety).

Guests

Yury Bykov

Yury Bykov  
Director, writer, actor, composer, editor The Fool, The Mayor, To Live 
In Vienna: October 1-7