Underplayed Gems

The Theme (1979)

The Theme poster
Original title
Тема
Directed by
Gleb Panfilov
Genre
comedy drama
Country
Soviet Union
Runtime
1h 39m
Rating
5.5 of 10 from 17 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A self-centered playwright in the Soviet Union convinces himself he is a real artist, but he writes plays that please the authorities. The story follows his encounters and the consequences of his compromises.

satiricalwryintrospectivebittersweetslow-burnthoughtfulmelancholiccynical

What happens

The Theme (Russian: Тема, romanized: Tema) is a 1979 Soviet comedy film directed by Gleb Panfilov. It tells the story of an egotistical playwright who thinks of himself as an artist, but who allows the system to make him write conformist plays. The film was heavily censored on its release in 1979. The full version was not released until 1986; this version was awarded the Golden Bear at the 37th Berlin International Film Festival. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems. Not quite it? You can browse by genre, country and year, or take this one into the 3D catalogue and ask the Catbot for something closer.