Artur Khatagov

Caucasus, City of Cherkessk. Soslanov Sasha or how friends are used to call him Sos is never dejected. Expelled from the University, nowhere to spend the night, a love of life Nina leaving the city - it's all rubbish. Sos is loyal to his fortune. One day, out of boredom, Sasha desperately gambles an "Express" wage - the bet is starting to win. However, Sos has lost the money-receiving card and now he has only 3 days to find his "Express". Cherkessk Odyssey has begun.

Pale, thin, cold-sweating Pik (Khugaev) teaches literature at the local university to students so indifferent they play cards and take phone calls while he lectures. "The hell with you,” he says, walking out mid-class. It’s unclear just why Pik seems so sickly, though by midpoint we realize he’s a heroin addict in withdrawal. Broke, alienated, shunned by his dealer, he searches for a fix or any other salvation, sharing his bleak thoughts in voiceover. Attractive lensing and spare piano/ambient sound score abet the feature’s melancholy, meditative aura.

Stories about extraordinary people from North Ossetia with different professions, views and culture, but they definitely agree on one thing - in the boundless love for the place where they grew up and live.