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A film is set in the Chekhov’s country estate near Moscow in the mid 80's of the 19th century. It was one summer day... Self-sacrificing 26-year-old Anton takes all possible efforts to support his large and unfortunate family, his broke father, sickly mother, sister and brothers. He spends his day writing short comic stories for cheap magazines. The future great writer Anton Chekhov is just about to recognize his own gift.
Director
Writer
Status
Released
Original Language
RU

Roughly chronological, from 3/96 to 11/96, with a coda in spring of 1997: inside compounds of Aum Shinrikyo, a Buddhist sect led by Shoko Asahara. (Members confessed to a murderous sarin attack in the Tokyo subway in 1995.) We see what they eat, where they sleep, and how they respond to media scrutiny, on-going trials, the shrinking of their fortunes, and the criticism of society. Central focus is placed on Hiroshi Araki, a young man who finds himself elevated to chief spokesman for Aum after its leaders are arrested. Araki faces extreme hostility from the Japanese public, who find it hard to believe that most followers of the cult had no idea of the attacks and even harder to understand why these followers remain devoted to the religion, if not the violence.

Katya
After participating in a séance, young Laura begins to behave strangely. Alarmed, her parents ask Father Olmedo, one of the few exorcists authorized by the Vatican to intervene in cases of demonic possession, for help.