THE FOOL (DURAK) World Cinema

An honest man encounters severe resistance from all sides when he stands up to uncaring bureaucrats to protect the safety of a group that doesn’t want to be helped. Russian filmmaker Yuriy Bykov’s striking morality tale moves along at a frenetic pace, its action unfolding over the course of one night. A simple plumber in a small town, dubbed a fool for his unwavering integrity, stumbles upon a shocking revelation: the pipes of a dorm occupied mostly by outcasts and drunkards have burst and the occupants must be evacuated immediately or face death. Receiving no response through the proper channels, he crashes an event to enlist the aid of the Mayor – but citywide corruption has left the tenants with nowhere to go. Supported by dynamic performances, Bykov’s condemnation of the way humans choose to treat each other resonates with authority.