Irina Klimova Movies

Work is hard to find in Moscow these days, and although native Muscovites are probably reluctant to do the kinds of toilet-swabbing low-level labor that migrants into the town happily do, the natives still resent the fact that immigrants are (at least theoretically) taking jobs away from locals. This is a familiar theme, even in the U.S. In the story, Pavel and Pavlina, two ethnic Russians from the rural areas of former Soviet states, have separately come to Moscow seeking exactly that sort of work. Pavel has a tiny room somewhere, Pavlina is homeless. They meet during an altercation at a bar during which they are picked up by the police. After their release, she spends the night in Pavel's room. Their goal is to avoid both the police and the criminal gangs who, between them, govern so much of the life in that difficult city. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

In this romantic comedy, on the way to a birthday party with their families, a man and his girlfriend are driving in the countryside. When the girl takes a curve a little too fast, their car winds up in a lake. Undaunted, the couple gets on a train but bickers about the incident the whole way. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide