Two boys, one magazine, zero chill for colonialism — friendship has never been this combustible.
Childhood friends Ahmet and Nuri, the sons of poor farmers, grew up together, studied together, and worked together in a factory. Together, they publish the magazine Light, which opposes the colonial policies of foreign capital and military pacts. After their first imprisonment, the friends' paths diverge: Nuri betrays his convictions and joins a reactionary newspaper. His life is now safe, but he finds no joy or peace. Meanwhile, Ahmet, having become one of the main enemies of the reactionaries, attracts more and more patriots to his side.
Acting
Sokolovski's Nuri physically crumbles; you see guilt in his shoulders.
Direction
Gurin and Ibrahimov stage factory debates like gladiator fights.
Cinematography
Grainy black-and-white that makes poverty and principle equally stark.
Director
Ilya Gurin
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Shot during Khrushchev's Thaw, this Azerbaijani-Soviet coproduction let directors criticize colonialism while carefully avoiding any critique of Moscow's own empire.
Vadim Medvedev (Ahmet) became a beloved Soviet character actor; this rare leading role shows the intensity producers usually buried in small parts.
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