Inthebleakfilmscapeofglasnost,TheNeedlestoodoutasablacksheepofamovie.ThemostplayfulandoffbeatoftheSovietfilmsoftheperiod,itcontrastedsharplytothemainstream,whichwasoverwhelmedwithrevisionismoftheStalinistpastandnihilisticsocialcriticism.
Madein1988byayoungKazakhdirector,RashidNugmanov,freshoutofVGIK(thenationalfilmschool),TheNeedlewasapioneeringeffortinseveralways.Havingefromaremote,stagnantrepublicofKazakhstan,thepicturesetoffamovementthathasetobeknownasthe"KazakhNewWave."RepresentedbysuchworksasAlexanderBaranov'sandBakhytKilibayev'sTheThree(1988)andWomanoftheDay(1990);Kilibayev'sTheTick(1990);Baranov'sHeandShe(1990);AbaiKarpykov'sLittleFishinLove(1989);andSerikAprymov'sTheLastStop(1989),theKazakhNewWavewasfortheagonizingSovietfilmofthelate1980swhattheFrenchNewWavewasforthedustyFrenchfilmofthelate1950s.TheNeedlewasthemovement'saboutdesouffle.ThefilmalsobecameamodelfortheRussianversionofpostmodernism—uninhibitedanduninformed,pensatingforthelackofculture,skill,andresourceswithmischiefandwit.AyoungmannamedMoro(playedbyViktorTsoi,thelaterock'n'rolllegendfromtheSt.Petersburgband"Kino")returnstohisAsiatichometownonlytofindhisexgirlfriend,Dina(MarinaSmirnova),beingadrugaddictandhimselfbeinginvolvedinthebizarrelifeofthecity'sunderworld.InanattempttosaveDina,MorotakesherawaytotheAralSea,turnedintoabarrendesertbythetimetheyarrive.ThereDinaseemscured,butbackintowneverythingstartsanew.Almostdesperate,Morodecidestofightthedrugdealers,ledbyahospitaldoctor(playedbyanotherrock'n'rollstar,eccentricleaderofthe"SoundofMu"bandandthefuturestarofTaxiBlues,PyotrMamonov),whenoneofthemstabshiminadesertedpark.
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