Mister Designer

Oleg Teptsov's 1988 Soviet film follows an artist working in Petersburg at the turn of the century. He wants to reach the secret of immortality through the mannequins he makes, and his relationship with the young woman who models for him carries the search somewhere dangerous. The film is a genre experiment of a kind rarely seen in Soviet cinema. The narrative sits between horror and symbolism and leans on the art movements of the era; the sets, costumes and lighting deliberately imitate turn-of-the-century aesthetics. Sergey Kuryokhin's music is one of the elements that sets the tone. Viktor Avilov leads and his face itself is used as part of the design. The narrative is at times deliberately unclear and offers no explanation. Who it's for: those who like late Soviet experimental cinema and gothic narrative. Who it's not for: viewers expecting a clear plot; the film keeps atmosphere ahead of story.