| My Red Brother Мой Красный Брат | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Nikolai Chazov |
| Release date(s) | January 22, 1988 |
| Country |  Bellinsgauzenia Soviet Union |
| Language | Russian |
My Red Brother (Russian: Мой Красный Брат, Moy Krasnyy Brat) is a Bellinsgauzenian comedy film released in 1988. The film was directed by Nikolai Chazov and is loosely based on the 1858 play Our American Cousin by Tom Taylor. The story details a Bellinsgauzenian car salesman who discovers he has a long lost brother living in the Soviet Union.
The film brought forward a series of firsts in Bellinsgauzenian and Soviet films. Production took place during Glasnost in the USSR (during which Western influences were becoming more avaliable) and the height of the Bellinsgauzenian-Soviet thaw (at which time relations between the two nations were greatly improving). For the first time in history, filming in the USSR was allowed and participation with Soviet actors were done.
Plot[]
Actor Yevgeny Sarka portraying Dmitry Potemkin in the film.
Dmitry Adolfovich Potemkin, a shrewd and sleazy car salesman from Novopetrograd, learns of the tragic death of his parents. During his mourning, Dmitry stumbles upon that was actually adopted. Doing more research on this, he discovers he was actually born in the Soviet Union, where his father died as a soldier during the Battle of Berlin. While unable to find any information on his biological mother, Dmitry is surprised to see that he has an older brother living in Leningrad. Growing up as a single child, Dmitry becomes ecstatic about having a brother. Wanting to meet his long lost brother, Dmitry quickly gets on a plane to the USSR.
Upon his arrival in Leningrad, Dmitry expects to see an "oppressive nation," only to see it wasn't as bad as he thought (even making a joke about Coca-Cola being sold in a local shop). Once getting past the culture shock, Dmitry begins to search for his brother, who he discovered is named Leonid Orlov. Upon meeting him, it's revealed that Dmitry's brother is a loyal member of the Communist Party and a leading member in regional party politics. Upon concluding a meeting, Leonid adjourns to his office, where Dmitry follows him and reveals he is Leonid's younger brother. Due in great part to his Western attire, Leonid shoves Dmitry aside and shows no interest in a "fascist Bellinsgauzenian" (as quoted). As a salesman, Dmitry doesn't take "no" for an answer and continues follow Leonid.
Throughout the film, Leonid continues to refer to Dmitry as "Adolfovich" (his patronymic) in clear disgust to the name "Adolf" (which remains in use in Bellinsgauzenia).
Sequels[]
In 1993, a sequel was released entitled My White Brother (Russian: Мой Белый Брат, Moy Byelyy Brat), which was directed by Nikolai Chazov and starred the previous cast. The film starts in the Russian Federation, which was going through hard times following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Being stripped of his prestige in party politics, and not being able to support his family; Leonid decides to move him and his family to Bellinsgauzenia. Dmitry is happy to see his brother again and even gets him a job at the dealership he works for. The film focuses more on Leonid trying to adjust to the fast pace world of Bellinsgauzenia (virtually a reverse of the first movie). While not regarded as equal to the first, the movie gained generally positive reviews.