Original subtitles

NEW YORK, USA, 1960

Although, no one star is disturbed by the cries of Hollywood madmen so far.

Romanian oil magnates already make deals with flabby green inhabitants of Pluto.

There are colonies of slaves on Saturn, the Cuban revolution on Mars.

The old life and the new one are side by side.

Will the Vatican find Christ on Jupiter?

Is this seat taken?

Here's a hot thing from the spiritual brother

Albert Pokrovsky, the freest man in Moscow.

It's called 'The white bikini', I translated it.

It'll be published in 'The Village Voice'.

Pokrovsky, though he is from the USSR but he understands everything well.

We are all alive, we are all animals, that's the point, my brothers.

"Stars of mica, there are traces of a lazy sun on the sand in the downpour,

I can not look at you, the sun hurts my eyes much.

It's cooler behind that dune, where I took you first.

OK, not the first, but it does not matter..."

No, thanks.

"...The main thing are the humidity of a cleavage, chills, ribbons.

The sand, which was rubbed in a white bikini with a red border.

Insanity in the morning, returning in the evening,

It's impossible, it will be forever.

The sun umbrella, the straw between the swollen lips,

the glow of red cheeks,

And the white bikini with a red border.

OPTIMISTS

EPISODE 9

Yummy.

They said that it's all very delicious.

Cracow sausage

Cracow sausage. Comrade Mikoyan signed an order for its production

in 1939, when he was the People's Commissar.

Too long.

Cracow sounds in Chinese.

I told them you had personally signed the order for its production in 1939,

when you were the People's Commissar .

Were you so well prepared or do you just like sausages?

I was prepared, Comrade Mikoyan. In the MFA we have chequered sausage.

It is a special thing. Tell him this...

More recently, we have built this plant for them for free.

And fair enough. Why did they start to criticize our course?

And now they want to build the industry, so let them pay.

Do not you think that it is not wise?

China is a more promising partner for us than the USA,

but Nikita goes to America for the second time this year.

But what can we do about this?

The ways of Nikita and Mao don't cross over.

But in America he promised to promote our Soviet food industry.

Caviar, crab, and beetroot.

Beetroot? Do you really think that Americans start to have borscht?

Maybe, they will buy common beetroot.

Excuse me, Anastas Ivanovich, you said that the revolutionary perseverance

in bringing up new tastes is important.'

- You can also bring them up! - How interesting interpreters you have.

Junior Foreign Office specialist.

They're all so there.

Well, young man, tell us how you're going to bring up the new tastes to Americans?

- Thank. - My pleasure.

Eat, improve your health. I'll get the coffee now.

Bykov is already home, and I have no time to cook.

- How is he? - Better, thank you.

Coffee.

Do you want anything for your daughter?

- Anya is at her grandma’s. - Take belyashes.

Belyashes are just exquisite.

- Okay, I’ll take them. - How many?

- A couple of them. - Tamara, I'll have my usual.

Wait a minute, please.

Ah, another pilferer.

Does your bride not feed you at home?

Petr Prokopyevich...

Be stricter with her from the beginning.

Otherwise, you can lose a moment.

- Am I right? - You always say right things.

- May I? - Yes, of course.

Are you getting married?

My congratulations.

When is your marriage?

Well, I'm going to go now. Briefing.

Ruta Karlovna, they won’t start it without you.

Yes, I just want to see Washington telexes.

Enjoy your meal.

Thank you.

And finally, it is not an ordinary task.

In a few days Khrushchev will go to the US.

And now I give the floor to Arkady Golub.

Thank you.

I’m representing ‘The book of tasty and healthy food’.

The MFI is preparing a special English edition.

Nikita'll present it to simple Americans, we are charged to help with this.

Arkady recently met with Comrade Mikoyan and has proposed this.

I fully supported him.

Excuse me, I have all the resources of the electoral race analysis in the US.

Do you have nothing to do?

I'm aware of my workload.

And if you do not have time, I can handle it on my own.

Perfectly. So cope with it. And take Golub with you.

Let’s go, Arkady.

Everyone else should work on Kennedy.

Why is he so worried about Kennedy?

He really can win. Look at the polls.

Catholic in the United States? Why not just a negro?

- Come in, Grisha. - Good evening.

Good evening.

Well, is it getting colder outside?

Just a little. Where's Anya?

- Nobody is home! - Ah, there you are!

- No, I’m not. Grandpa, hide me, please. - Come on.

I wanted to talk with you and Anya.

Yes, yes, of course.

Are you hungry? Let’s eat. Today we have pearl hen.

I am getting married.

- My congratulations to you, Grisha. - Thank you.

And who is she, your fiancee?

Galina Volina, a television announcer. Probably, you’ve already seen her.

Yes, Yes.

Beautiful girl.

Well, it was maybe inevitable.

Nina Vasilyevna, I'll introduce you, she is very nice.

Anya, Anya. Come here.

Dad wants to tell you something.

Excuse me, I'm going to get a tea service.

- Georgy, can you help me? - Yes.

What is it, dad?

And what do you want, Nina?

He got this over.

Well, just one year has passed.

Yes, but he is a young healthy guy. Should he go to a monastery?

And what will Anya think of this?

And what will she think of this?

Hooray!

Grandma, grandpa, dad’s taking me to the circus! Hooray!

I am so happy for you, such a beautiful couple.

Thank you.

Kids will be a sight for sore eyes.

Who do you want to have? A boy or a girl?

I do not know. We'll probably wait a bit.

Gregory already has his daughter.

Well, then I wish you to have a boy first.

Forgive me, for God's sake. Can I speak to Galina for a minute.

Thank you.

Galya!

So sorry to barge in on you like this.

Do you remember, Galya, the verses I devoted to you?

‘The white bikini’.

- I have a favor to ask, Galya. - Alik.

Burn them down.

You worry for nothing.

Biryukov fell your verses on deaf ears, so you're safe.

Biryukov.

Galya, you do not understand.

‘The white bikini’ was printed in the West.

In ‘The Village Voice’.

- I haven’t showed them… - So it's fine, Alik.

Fine? I’m almost a member of the Writers' Union.

I'm about to have the apartment provided.

I will lose everything. Everything!

Galya, they will send me to plow a virgin soil.

Well, and what are you going to do?

It's very simple.

This isn't my verse.

I did not write this verse. Do you understand?

That’s why so important to burn all four copies.

- Four?! - Yes.

Wow! You know, I'm so interested, how did the other three girls react?

Galya! What kind of girls? Do not be silly, Galya!

I have already burned three copies. The fourth and last one is yours.

How easy you can refuse everything, Alik.

Galya, please, I have no time for this!

And who wrote this verse then, if not you?

What's the difference? Enemies.

I will announce this as a provocation.

- You can still fix it. - Get out of here, you disgust me!

Galya, please, I beg you!

My mom is a disabled person.

What should I do?!

Stop it immediately!

I beg you not to wreck my life, Galya.

- Yes, Alik! - Galya, please.

Galya, I brought a fashion magazine.

Here’s the pattern of a good wedding dress.

Thank you.

Here you are.

And we ... Albert.

Good evening.

Galya, I should go, I need to feed Andrew.

Formulate the issue again.

I want any American worker to want to have borscht after reading the book.

Borsch is a relic of the past. Here is the future.

From field into machine, from machine into stomach.

From stomach back into field.

- Feh, Arkady. - The future...

And what if you add more images in the style of suprematism?

What is it?

Cheese instead of triangles, sausage instead of circles...

Americans love this. No, it doesn’t make sense.

May I ask? What's wrong? Why do you work so hard?

- I have a family on the way. - Is she already pregnant? You’re a hero.

- Really? - I mean, I have to marry soon

but our future is unclear.

Everybody has forgotten about China and think of Berlin and Kennedy.

I was so lucky and Mikoyan noticed me, we must try it.

- Try it. - So, what is next?

Going to the State Trade Committee? You’ll kick off of boredom there.

I'll kick off in here faster. I am out of work for weeks.

Secondly, it’s easier with the fifth item there.

And I still live at my mom’s.

I got it.

But this won’t save you from paying your debt.

- You should stand treat. - Yes, yes, I remember.

Cocoa for everybody, huh?

- Arkady?! - Golub.

Just kidding.

Arkady, everything is cooling.

I'm coming!

- Good morning. - Good morning.

Reading room, nothing changes.

Eat, come on

You messed with your science fiction all the night.

Why science fiction?

We have this book at home since 1939.

Everybody bought it at the time. Remember?

We were reading this especially well at Emma’s home in Leningrad

in the winter of 1942.

- Mom, everything is different now. - Well, of course.

Das Kind fragt den Vater. Der Son ist der Bruder.

- Ein Bruder. - Ein Bruder.

I should warn you we can’t offer you crabs and sturgeon.

Mom, stop it.

Do you really think that an ordinary Soviet family eats like that?

Mom.

Of course.

- Mom! - Arkady!

The Schneiders!

- What's wrong with you? - How do they teach a new language?

Come up with people who are fun and enjoyable to watch.

The same with tasty and healthy food. There's no need to change anything.

All you need is to find a family for making this book vital.

To take photos of their kitchen, no retouching, no hypocrisy!

We should remind America that communism cancels nothing of this!

And what do your colleagues in MFI think of this?

I hoped this proposal will come from you,

because I promised the help of the entire department.

In this case, you and I are the entire department.

- But the idea is excellent. - Thank you.

Nadezhda, get me Kovalev of MFI on the phone.

Do not worry, Golub, go look for your perfect family.

Thank you.

Well, how did Anya react?

- I told her nothing yet. - Told nothing?

Grisha, what does it mean?

Everything has its time.

And when is it ours?

Or are we going to hide from your daughter?

Well, let's go with her somewhere.

Let's go to Peredelkino for the weekend? I enjoyed it there when I was a child.

She is at her grandmom’s this weekend

They’ve got a full schedule.

- Plus I promised her a circus. - Maybe, for the next weekend then?

- When is she coming back? - Galya...

Grisha, well, you should do so!

Anya is your daughter. She has to live with us.

With you.

I understand, of course, I still can’t handle kids, but I'll try to.

I can learn everything.

I just want us to be a normal family from the beginning. Do you understand?

You will succeed. You can do it.

You know, I think I'm disappointed about Volina.

She’s cheating on Biryukov! Who'd have thought?

How do you know?

I found her together with Alexey Pokrovsky in the dressing room.

Biryukov proposed to her. Do you think I should tell him?

You're crazy, of course not!

Do not meddle in the lives of others.

But if I were him, I'd wanted to know the truth.

All people are different.

You know best.

I do not know who you hope to find here.

We don’t have guys like Gérard Philipe.

Gromov, for example. Hands of gold, does not drink, Party member.

But single.

And he takes advantage of this.

A bachelor is not suitable.

Well, well, well…

Levan Gogoberidze, soldier, tank crewman.

His wife is a beauty and he’s an ace himself.

Three children. But you maybe..?

Yes.

I understand.

- And this one. - Parfenov. Parfenov!

Exactly, Gleb Parfenov, highly qualified locksmith, wife, children.

Just got an apartment at the Avtozavodskaya metro station.

And he was given, as well. Excellent, we’ll take him.

- And does he not... - Already a year.

- What do you mean? - Nothing.

- Gleb Parfenov then. - Yes.

Good.

Well, and your chin, please. That is marvelous.

Vladislav, thank you very much once again for your time.

I found it for you, yes. But now I'm losing it.

We have not even started.

Where should we put it?

- What is it? A spaceship?! - Almost.

‘PMM Vortex 101’. The first prototype.

What is it?!

Our experimental dishwasher.

I asked you not to change anything.

The truth of life, neorealism!

I'm sorry, Comrade Golub, this is the honor of the plant.

- So you’re Comrade Golub?! - Yes.

Just a holiday for us!

Will you leave the products, or they will be taken away, as well?

They will be left, of course.

Thanks, buddy!

Not at all. Comrade Parfenov, thank you very much.

Gleb, you're so handsome!

Don’t call me Comrade Parfenov, just Gleb. And you? Arkady?

Yes, Arkady.

To be short, look, Arkady, I’d like to have couple of pictures for memory.

I’ll send them to my mom in Kalinin.

Oh, she would be beaming, so proud of me. Son in the book!

I'm sure we can do it.

Am I right?

Real disaster here! Bare walls look awfully in image.

- So let me move the shelf. All right! - And the curtains?

I do not even know what will be worse. Keeping them or removing?

Hell, you're right about the curtains, of course.

Guys, let me go buy the new ones.

Really? Thank you.

- No, no, no, I do not need it. - Take it.

If so, when the decorations are ready, we will shoot.

Goodbye.

And try not to eat everything until tomorrow.

Bonjour.

Are you alone? Is no one watching you?

What's the matter? You're not yourself.

- How’s Samarkand? - Perfect.

I've never seen anything more beautiful than Registan.

This is for Nelly. By the way, when are we going to meet her?

Katya.

I understand. It’s hard to surprise you by this.

But I brought presents from Paris. Just did not know Nelly’s size.

I thought, I'll come to visit and bring them.

She will try them and decide on the spot.

That is not going to happen. We see each other for the last time.

How can you live like this?

Look at yourself,

you tremble at the thought someone might see you with your own sister.

- You have to go back to Paris with me. - What are you talking about?

Buy a travel tour to Czechoslovakia.

My husband has friends there. They will take you to Austria by car.

From there, I'll take you home.

We will renew our French citizenship.

Don’t worry about money, housing or work. I'll set it up

You're asking me to flee the country, as if I were some kind of traitor.

What does you mean by flee?

You can flee a prison or a concentration camp.

What right does the state have to decide where you should live?

- Don’t you want to see your niece? - Katya, do not.

Do not, I will do, Andrey.

My husband Serge… he wants to meet you.

And he isn't a fat bourgeois,

he is a pediatrician on the outskirts of Paris.

He votes for the left. Nobody considers him as a traitor,

because it is called ‘freedom of choice’, you know?

I’m a staff member of the MFA. Member of the Party.

I have my office, my wife, my apartment in Moscow, even my car.

But I have no relative abroad. And this is my choice,

my decision, and I do not want to change anything.

My life is here.

- My God, what have they done to you? - Farewell.

But he does not receive.

Nice that you could come. Svetlana, make us a cup of tea.

OK.

My wife and I are going to War and Peace in the Bolshoi. We so rarely go out.

I decided to dress up.

Oh, listen, help me, huh?

I refuse to be an informer.

And thank God. Thank God.

Andrew, do you think I like to drag things out?

Andrew, look at all these dossiers. What are they about?

- Denunciations. - No, Andrew, no denunciations,

but the true reliable information.

You work in the MFA.

You know well a spy in our ranks is a disaster for the whole country.

Therefore, the information is needed, there's no getting around it.

Understand one thing.

The more I know it, the more accurate information I put in your dossiers,

the less there are messed-up places, the less chance

that someone else at the Lubyanka

who is rougher, more stupid, and unscrupulous

will begin to meddle in your life.

I’ve never thought like this before.

For example, Grisha Biryukov, my university friend.

I know the things about him you never dreamed of, and what?

Does it somehow interfere with his career?

I would have followed him anywhere.

So what's this talk about a foreigner in the dining room about?

But how? Because if you got involved, you should go underground better.

I warned him, too, when he was naughty in Paris.

And I’m ready to warn you, as well.

You see, he’s sometimes carried away ever since his wife died.

Have you heard about the Champ-de-Mars?

What do you want from me?

Nothing special.

If you notice the next time that Biryukov is carried away, tell me.

And I already know how to warn him.

Have you noticed anything about him lately?

Does he drink in moderation?

No, everything is okay.

And what about women?

He's getting married.

Such little things never bothered men.

A good cheat strengthens a marriage.

My God, if anyone cheats, this is...

I do not know, it's conversation.

It is said that his fiancee and the poet Pokrovsky...

Well, rumors travel great distances.

Does he know?

OK then. Thanks.

- Perfect. - I should go.

The MFA, Chernykh. Dossier on the poet Pokrovsky.

Do not do this anymore, please.

You have nothing to prove, I already know you're a hero.

Did you like a tea?

Chilly.

Didn’t you sleep yet?

Andrew, you get up early for work, you should sleep.

If you...

if you can not, I'll go in the kitchen?

Why?

I can see.

I can not take it anymore.

Tell me everything.

Good.

You really do not know everything about me.

This is Katya.

Catherine, my older sister.

But she...

...you said that she died in the war!

Everyone thought so,

but she stayed in France, survived and came to find me.

And today I saw her for the second time in 20 years.

And I won’t see her again.

She has another life, she could not understand me.

Hey, do not.

I'm sorry, I did not know.

I did all I could!

The wall won’t be bare. Look at what I brought.

Try the other side.

Is that a bruise?!

Calm down there!

Gleb!

- It is pretty beautiful. - Thank you.

Anyway, I'm ready!

Gleb, don't do that.

- Gleb, don't do that. - No! Mamma’s son in the book.

- I do not allow it! - Gleb!

Comrade, I built the frame.

He built the frame.

And I built this city! With these hands here!

Gleb.

I built it with my blood.

With all due respect, but you are a locksmith.

Oh, you're smart.

Gleb, I beg you! Oh, No! Please ...

Comrades!

Gleb, I beg you!

Who gave him the money?

Who’s the wanker who gave him t he money, I’m asking you?

Come on, take pictures of me, photographer.

I…

- Arkady, help me. - Next time.

Come on, take pictures of me!

Nikolay Borisovich, that's all about Alexander Pokrovsky.

Or, as he call himself, ‘Albert’.

Little.

But there is something.

Until this week, we were not interested in him at all.

In 1957 he socialized with foreigners at a festival.

Signed some letter, иге it doesn't matter.

But just three days ago from the US publication and poems were received.

- Wow?! Anti-Soviet? - Pornography.

White bikini.

Thank you, we need to talk with the Comrade pornographer.

What are you laughing at?

- That is now our grief. - Yours, not ours, Golub.

How are you going to rectify the situation?

I’ll reshoot it on my own.

Be bold.

Can you give me Leonid Korneyev as an assistant?

And I just bought a new lens.

But I have to work on Kennedy, Biryukov shouldn't know about this.

No, already have a photographer.

I just need someone who is similar to a locksmith as much as possible.

Thank you, Arkady. But Biryukov will see the photos!

Arkady, Leonid is afraid of this. Find other candidate.

- I am not afraid of anything. - But you should.

I have a father. I just need to find a mother

and a child of about five years old. Where to find them?

No thanks, in America they remember me even without all of this.

- Ladies. - Mother of 5-year-old child?

No, it's not about us.

What should we do?

Do not worry, Arkady, we will figure something out.

- Did not it break? - No.

- All right. - I'm not superstitious.

- Ruta Blaumane. - Galina.

Of course, we met before, but long time ago, at ‘The cranes’.

You had some production crisis that time.

We always have a crisis. What brings you to us?

I'm going to a parlor for looking for weddings tissues.

- Yes of course. Congratulations. - Thank you.

Can I talk to you about one case?

Yes.

Do you need to go to New York now for your fee or something?

By taxi. Ok, my friends.

- Hello, Comrades writers. - Hello.

May I steal our new Pasternak for a moment?

By the way, nice to meet you, I'm Nicholay Chernykh.

Have a sit, please.

‘Not a thing depends on a red-and-white bikini’.

Was this reference to William Carlos Williams in the original?

Alexander, tell me, did you see this American newspaper?

It’s all interesting, I guess.

No thanks, I...

it's someone's provocation,

I have nothing to do with it and do not want to see it.

It's a pity. And I wanted to congratulate you.

But to be honest, I am not interested by the topic.

I would like to talk to you about your personal life

and those aspects which concern Galina Volina.

I will not deny it, there was an affair.

And now it's all over. She was single, and I was so.

If I suddenly bothered someone, I'm ready to apologize.

Oh no, what are you talking about? It is no longer required.

Well, thank you. That's all I wanted to say.

Well, maybe you’ll take it anyway? You’ll show it to your friends.

No thanks.

OK then.

- Sorry for bothering you. - Oh, no. Always glad to help you.

If you have any questions, please contact me.

What an amazing dipshit you are, Pokrovsky.

Excuse me?

Would you mind to bring me an Armenian brandy bottle?

Have a nice day.

Grisha, was it your idea, admit it?

Idea?

Your deputies asked me to do a shoot for the new book

which is ready for release in the US and you know nothing?

- Thank you, this is so cool. - And what else did Blaumane say to you?

That you build a new edition of the book about a perfect family.

And what’s the most important

they need a little girl for shooting and I offered Anya.

- Do not you mind? - Of course, I do!

And why?

Nothing to do with a shooting for Ana. Some sort of nonsense.

Yes, indeed,

taking a picture with me and spending time together is very stupid.

- Galya, I’m not talking about this. - And about what?

You still didn’t tell Anya about we're getting married. Maybe…

Maybe, we're doing it all in vain..?

Sorry.

Well, take these pictures, if they're so important for you.

- And who is the happy father? - Oh, I did not ask, I do not know.

- Grisha, hello. - Hi, Kolya.

Hey. Hey, Anya.

Do you remember me? I'm an old friend of your dad.

This is uncle Kolya. I want to talk to him, okay?

Now I will get her upstairs and come back. Let’s go.

- Oh, and here is our little star. - Hello.

- Hello. - Hello, come in.

- Hello. - Hello.

- Aunt Galya? - Hey.

She will be so beautiful!

Anya, can you imagine? Right now we're going to be real fashion models.

- Dad, what is a fashion model? - I'll tell you later.

Ok, stay here a bit, I'll be right back.

Let's go. Sit down.

Grisha, there are the things which are better to hear from your friend.

If you're going to spend your life with someone,

you should know the truth about this person.

Kolya, tell me.

Galina makes it with Pokrovsky.

- Are you sure? - Yes.

I got it.

I’ll bring him to responsibility for disorderly conduct,

if you want, or party line.

Do not.

I just want you to know you have a friend.

I hope I have him, too.

Thank you.

Put salad closer, yes. As if we’re scooping it.

Attention, I’m shooting. Daughter, sit closer to your dad

OK. Mom’s moving. Let's move. All right.

Now I'm shooting from here. Good.

Now hug your daughter. Daughter’s looking at her mother.

Dad’s looking at the camera; mom - at her daughter,

all right. I’m shooting.

Wonderful, good, attention, yes, right.

Get back to your starting positions. Wonderful.

Mushrooms. I set acutance.

I thought we’ll take home Anya first, and then go to me.

First to you.

Get out. Tomorrow I’ll bring your things.

- Grisha. - Over.

Why over? Why?

You know why.

- Grisha, please listen to me. - Listen to what?

I do not know how it happened. It was some weakness, you know?

- I'm sorry, we should go. - Grisha, please, I was not myself!

Wait, please, what about Anya? She was used to me.

She’ll wean.

Grisha! And what about Peredelkino?! Grisha.

Grisha!

Ivan Sergeyevich, we got a pressrun from Moscow.

‘The Book of Tasty and Healthy Food’ for local libraries.

And I should say, they did this well. Surprisingly.

So that's great. You know what to do with it.

Exactly? I'm telling you everything is good.

Why?

This is not just a book,

Khruschev needs to present it in New York to the people!

There will be no meetings with the people.

The Americans sent a memo to Khrushchev

they could not guarantee his safety if he deviates from the route.

He was quite offended, the visit is at risk.

And Mikoyan?

Are you going to tell Mikoyan about I moved mountains here?

Mikoyan has his own mountains.

Arkady, do not worry, we'll find something for you. OK?

Good. May I go?

Attagirl, my assistant.

So what? Let's try?

Dad, let's make a ponytail on the top of my head. It is not difficult.

OK.