«The Return of the Prodigal Son» is the first volume from the film (novel) of Anatoli Vassiliev’s «Empire» inside the Dau cycle. The story is about inner kinship, which is much closer than blood, about inevitable betrayal, about almost fatherly love and forgiveness. Cigarettes (papirossa), images from «Faust» and «Don Juan», walks in the Soviet Park of culture... And a terrible, narrow gap inside the brutal regime where you have to be skilled enough to survive... Yes! and they also play gorodki (skittles) with childish passion!

Cast

Anatoly Vasiliev

Anatoly Krupitsa, Director of the Institute (1938-1952)

Teodor Currentzis

Dau

Inna Schorr

Krupitsa's secretary

Mikhail Fikhtengolts

Dau's friend, inspector

Vyacheslav Kolyus

Viktor, Window Cleaner

Nikolai Gubarev

Skittles Instructor