Ya (2009)

Genres - Drama  |   Run Time - 88 min.  |   Countries - Russia  |   MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis

A man pretending to be insane has to contend with the fallout of his charade in this drama from Russian filmmaker Igor Voloshin. As the Soviet Union stands on the verge of collapse in the early '90s, a new wave of freedom and self-discovery sweeps through the nation, and young people eagerly embrace a rebellious attitude and the sort of partying and drug use that's long been commonplace in the West. With all this going on, aspiring author and playwright Geroi (Artur Smolyaninov) is reluctant to be drafted into the army of a nation that may not exist within a year or two; in an effort to get out of compulsory military service, Geroi fakes mental illness, and he does it well enough that he's committed to an institution. It isn't long before Geroi realizes the asylum is as bad as the army, and possibly worse. It's hard to say if the doctors are any less crazy than their patients, particularly chief of staff Elizabeta (Anna Mikhalkova), and his only hope to hold on to his sanity lies in his growing friendship with Nina (Oksana Akinshina), a sympathetic nurse. Ya (aka Me or I Am) was an official selection at the 2010 Berlin International Film Festival.