House of Fools

House of Fools (2002) directed by Andrei Konchalovsky will be screened on March 29 at the Russian Centre auditorium, No10, Independence Avenue, Colombo 7 at 6 pm.

The film tells the story of a psychiatric hospital in the Russian republic of Ingushetia on the border with war-torn republic of Chechnya in 1996. With the medical staff vanishing to apparently find help, the patients are left to their own endeavors.

Zhanna (Yuliya Vysotskaya), a young woman, lives in the belief that the pop star Bryan Adams is her fiancé, that he is off on tour and will, at some point in the future, come to take her away with him.

Zhanna is sort of the ad hoc keeper of peace, happiness and control of the others; she attempts to help curb some of the other patients exuberant impulses. Blissfully unaware of the terror of the war, the patients stick it out in the hospital.

Their guests vary between a group of Chechen rebels, one of whom, Sultan Islamov, gives Zhanna the idea that he will marry her. At this point Zhanna, falls in love with Islamov. She goes back to the "House" where, with the help of her fellow residents, she prepares for her marriage to Islamov. From this point on Zhanna prepares for and expects to be swept away by Islamov.

Her hopes do not come to fruition and Islamov and Zhanna part ways. Zhanna returns to the "House" in order to resume her life there.

The story was partially inspired by the real-life tragedy of the psychiatric hospital in Shali, Chechnya, which was abandoned by the personnel during the Russian bombing campaign and in which many patients subsequently died from attacks and neglect.

For further details please contact the Cultural Officer on 0112 685440 / 0112 685429. Limited number of seats available.