Boris Khvoles

The parody series "Sancho from the Ranch" was part of the St. Petersburg television program "Chameleon", curated by the famous director Yuri Mamin. The idea of this parody was that the supposedly Mexican TV series "Sancho from the Ranch" was seen by viewers in two guises at once: on the screen and behind the screen. On the screen there are heartbreaking incidents in sunny Mexico, and off the screen an ordinary Russian family is watching them with excitement – grandmother and grandfather, father and mother, daughter and son. The trick is that they also appear in exotic Mexican roles, and seem to be watching themselves.

Farewell Pavel takes place in two cities. In Rotterdam, we follow Russian reporter Alexei Petrov. He stays in a shabby hotel while investigating Russian ships that have been chained up and writes an article about trafficking in women. His contact with a Russian prostitute gets him into trouble when he tries to arrange a fake passport for her. While Alexei becomes entangled in a criminal web in the West, Alexei's 14-year-old son Pavel longs for his father in St. Petersburg and takes his first steps on the path of love. The events in both cities run almost parallel, but are told from different time perspectives. Over time, a shift occurs. For Pavel, who is on his way to adulthood, time passes more and more quickly, while for Alexei, who feels increasingly threatened, time seems to stand still.

The parody series "Sancho from the Ranch" was part of the St. Petersburg television program "Chameleon", curated by the famous director Yuri Mamin. The idea of this parody was that the supposedly Mexican TV series "Sancho from the Ranch" was seen by viewers in two guises at once: on the screen and behind the screen. On the screen there are heartbreaking incidents in sunny Mexico, and off the screen an ordinary Russian family is watching them with excitement – grandmother and grandfather, father and mother, daughter and son. The trick is that they also appear in exotic Mexican roles, and seem to be watching themselves.