"Brother"
1997
Directed by Alexei Balabanov

Winner of the Jury Special Prize at the Torino International Festival of Young Cinema, this is a poignant tale of innocence lost.  A young man returns from home to St. Petersburg, having completed his military service.  He discovers that his brother is now a contract killer for the Russian mob. Both brothers become involved in a plan to kill a Chechen mafia boss. This riveting crime film addresses many of the social problems that plague city life in the former Soviet Union. Lead actor Sergei Bodrov's superb performance won him international attention, including the award for Best Actor at the 1997 Chicago International Film Festival.  "A wonderfully mordant excursion through the new Russian thugocracy…the best Russian movie I've seen in years" (J. Hoberman, The Village Voice).  96 minutes.