V kruge pervom

The First Circle

This series deals with times of repression and exile, times of fear and horror, times of Stalin's bloody regime. A vicious paranoiac, Stalin ordered the arrest and exile of simple citizens and brilliant scientists alike. His eagerness to terrorize people and his dream of world dominance had horrific results. There were few scientists left to carry out extensive research for the country's welfare. So the dictator decided to create special camps for scientists, called Sharashkas, in order to make them work for the USSR. Sharashka prisoners were decently fed and enjoyed basic working conditions. Many of them faced a grave moral dilemma as they were assigned to maintain the prosperity of a system that had already caused so much grief and suffering to its citizens. The protagonist, whose is based on Solzhenitsyn himself, is alien to these atrocities. He makes his choice – he refuses to work for Stalin, even though it means being sent to a more brutal work camp. This is a story of strong-minded and honest people, defying the regime for the sake of the people.

Russia - 2006 - Episode 1 : 59 mn, Episode 2 : 40 mn, Episode 3 : 43 mn, Episode 10 : 52 mn - Colour

Director
Gleb Panfilov
Script
Alexandre Soljenitsyne
based on
Alexandre Soljenitsyne
Camera
Mikhail Agranovich
Sound
Youry Motorkin
Sets
Anatoly Panfilov, Konstantion Zoubrylin
Music
Vadim Bibergan
Cast
Yevgeni Mironov, Inna Churikova, Galina Tyunina, Andrey Smirnov, Albert Filozov, Igor Kvasha

Production
Vera Film Production,
Zemlyanoy Val Str. 50/27, Building 16 / Apt 35,
109028 Moscou, Russie
Tél : +7 495 143 94 26
Fax : +7 495 143 94 26
E-mail : verafilm@mail.ru

Co-Production
RTR Planeta

Sales
RTR Planeta,
5 Ulitsa Yamskogo Polya 19/21,
125124 Moscou, Russie
Tél : +7 (095) 251 4050
Fax : +7 (095) 214 4978