The Forest
Лес
At a crossroads of forest paths in the heart of Russia, two provincial actors cross paths: the comedian Schastlivtsev and the tragedian Neschastlivtsev. Their journey leads them to "Penki"—the estate of the wealthy landowner Gurmyzhskaya, where moral confusion reigns like a dark, tangled forest. Here, young men marry older women for money, dowry-less maidens drown themselves for love, everyone lies, and no one finds happiness.
Actors
Raisa Pavlovna Gurmyzhskaya, a very wealthy landowner
Anna Ardova
Aksyusha, her distant relative
Kira Nasonova
Vosmibratov, a timber merchant
Vitaliy Lenskiy
Pyotr, his sony
Ilya Nikulin
Bulanov, a young man who left high school before graduating
Yaroslav Leonov
Neschastlivtsev, a traveling player
Vyacheslav Kovalyov
Schastlivtsev, a traveling player
Sergey Udovik
Ulita, the housekeeper
Darya Poverennova
Karp, Gurmyzhskaya's footman
Sergey Rubeko
Terenka, a boy
Oleg Sapiro
Crew
Stage & Costume design
Vladimir Arefiev
Lighting designer
Andrey Abramov
Music by
Sergei Filippov
Video designer
Viktor Vasilyev
Film Director
Sergey Zlobin
Cinematographer
Artur Sariadi
Sound Directors
Svetlana Dyogteva, Aleksandr Kaplun
Film Producer
Aleksey Korolyov
The actors Schastlivtsev and Neschastlivtsev—penniless and homeless—arrive at a wealthy estate and, against all logic, compel everyone to become their true selves. If you cannot choose between left or right, then break the very system of choice itself. Be mad: create a reality where you no longer have to choose the lesser of two evils.
Language
Russian
Runtime
3 hours 7 minutes with one intermission
Act 1
106 min
Intermission
10 min
Act 2
71 min
2026
16+
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