
On the island of Ostrov in the Caspian Sea the inhabitants, left alone by the Russian state after the collapse of the Soviet Union, survive through poaching. Ivan regularly goes out to sea risking his life and freedom. He struggles, he laughs, he dances, he fights and he believes that one day Putin will see their misery and help.
See the film
Why does an apparently large majority in Russia back Vladimir Putin? As a firsthand account from the heart of Russia, this documentary highlights the impact of aggressive propaganda in Russia on the population. It is set on a lost island in the Caspian Sea, where people have been left to fend for themselves since the collapse of the Soviet Union. After the dissolution of the USSR, the collective fishing industry, which once functioned well, was banned. Since then, there is neither gas nor electricity on the island, neither legal jobs nor doctors. For Ivan, a third-generation fisherman, there is only one way to support his family: illegal fishing. Drunk on state propaganda on television, Ivan nevertheless believes that Putin could fix everything for him and his family.






Written & directed by
SVETLANA RODINA
LAURENT STOOP
Editors
ORSOLA VALENTI
KARINE SUDAN
SVETLANA RODINA
Director of Photography
LAURENT STOOP
Second Camera / Drone Pilot
MIKHAIL BUROV
Composer
MARCEL VAID
Sound Design
JEROME CUENDET
Color Grading
CHRISTOPH WALTHER
Producers Switzerland
CORINNA DÄSTNER
SONJA KILBERTUS
URS SCHNELL
Associate Producer
DODO HUNZIKER
World Sales: Taskovski Films
A production of DOKLAB GMBH in coproduction with SRF Swiss Radio and Television funded by Bundesamt für Kultur, Berner Filmförderung, Cinéforom, Suissimage, Zürcher Filmstiftung, Aargauer Kuratorium, Succès Passage Antenne, Migros Kulturprozent, Fondation Suisa, Alexis Victor Thalberg Stiftung and supported by Swissfilms, Focal and Pitching du Réel 2019.
IVAN
ANNA
ALINA
ANTON
GALINA
VALERA
TATIANA
ROMAN
TAMANGIZ
UNCLE TOLYA
VANYA
ANATOLY