DIRECTOR: Edgar Baghdasaryan
STARRING: Mais Sarkisyan, Maksim Vitorgan, Ruzanna Khachatryan
RUNNING TIME: 1 hr 50 minutes
LANGUAGE: Armenian, Russian
Yasha recently retired after serving many years at a factory, with the highlight of his career being a delegate of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1976. Yet his future is left unknown, and his new reality is difficult to accept. The world has changed after the collapse of the Soviet Union, yet he tries to hold on to what once was.
***
Director Edgar Baghdasaryan is back after being submitted for Armenia in 2019 for Lengthy Night. His latest film is Yasha and Leonid Brezhnev. The film was the winner of five Anahit Awards in 2024, including best director, best actor for Mais Sarkisyan and best screenplay. The film has been released in theatres across Armenia after debuting at the Golden Apricot Film Festival in July 2024.
Following the conclusion of the national selection process, the Armenian National Film Academy has announced the nominee for the International Feature Film Award for the 97th American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Oscar Award. Armenia’s official entry is the feature film Yasha and Leonid Brezhnev directed by Edgar Baghdasaryan.
The film’s producer is Karine Simonyan.
Yasha and Leonid Brezhnev is a comedic drama and it was filmed in a small town in Armenia close to Yerevan.
To check out all previous submissions for Armenia, click HERE.
STARRING: Mais Sarkisyan, Maksim Vitorgan, Ruzanna Khachatryan
RUNNING TIME: 1 hr 50 minutes
LANGUAGE: Armenian, Russian
Yasha recently retired after serving many years at a factory, with the highlight of his career being a delegate of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1976. Yet his future is left unknown, and his new reality is difficult to accept. The world has changed after the collapse of the Soviet Union, yet he tries to hold on to what once was.
***
Director Edgar Baghdasaryan is back after being submitted for Armenia in 2019 for Lengthy Night. His latest film is Yasha and Leonid Brezhnev. The film was the winner of five Anahit Awards in 2024, including best director, best actor for Mais Sarkisyan and best screenplay. The film has been released in theatres across Armenia after debuting at the Golden Apricot Film Festival in July 2024.
Following the conclusion of the national selection process, the Armenian National Film Academy has announced the nominee for the International Feature Film Award for the 97th American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Oscar Award. Armenia’s official entry is the feature film Yasha and Leonid Brezhnev directed by Edgar Baghdasaryan.
The film’s producer is Karine Simonyan.
Yasha and Leonid Brezhnev is a comedic drama and it was filmed in a small town in Armenia close to Yerevan.
To check out all previous submissions for Armenia, click HERE.
FILM REVIEW:
(This review contains spoilers.)
“Do I embarrass you?”
Yasha and Leonid Brezhnev is a fascinating film that delves into the theme of nostalgia and how one clings to the past, especially in the context of major political and social shifts like the collapse of the Soviet Union. Yasha’s struggle with accepting the modern world, contrasted with his reverence for historical communist leaders, creates a powerful mix of absurdist comedy and satirical humour.
Yasha’s story, set against the backdrop of his small village and the collapse of the Soviet system, resonates with the pain of having devoted his entire life to a cause that no longer exists. He has worked in the same factory in a remote town for 45 years, under harsh conditions. He’s now retiring, mainly due to his deteriorating health and mental state. After dedicating his life to the same job and the ideals of the Soviet system, his failing body and mind symbolize the collapse of that very system.
But even worse, Yasha begins talking to Leonid Brezhnev, a politician who served as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Leonid though is dead and Yasha is just hallucinating. Brezhnev, appearing as a delusion, becomes both a companion and a symbol of the past Yasha can’t let go of, reflecting his internal struggle. But at the same time, this hallucination of Brezhnev allows Yasha to give voice to his disillusionment and desperation, while also providing a tragicomic layer. As Yasha’s reality crumbles, his conversations with Brezhnev represent a longing for stability and purpose, even as he grapples with an unkind world that has long since moved on.
Yasha and Leonid Brezhnev deals with the disintegration of memory and identity due to dementia. As Yasha’s mind deteriorates quickly, his reality becomes a blur between historical memory and personal disillusionment, making the film soul-crushing. It’s a black comedy but more importantly it’s a deeply tragic exploration of how clinging to a past that no longer exists can ravage one's soul, creating a stark and heavy emotional experience.
While his loving family tries to support him, his internal struggle and the loss of his mental state, leads to tragic consequences. The film masterfully blends a profound reflection on identity, memory, and the cost of loyalty to a lost cause. As the world has forgotten about himself and his small village, the little bit of him that is left is slowly being erased.
REVIEW: B-
(This review contains spoilers.)
“Do I embarrass you?”
Yasha and Leonid Brezhnev is a fascinating film that delves into the theme of nostalgia and how one clings to the past, especially in the context of major political and social shifts like the collapse of the Soviet Union. Yasha’s struggle with accepting the modern world, contrasted with his reverence for historical communist leaders, creates a powerful mix of absurdist comedy and satirical humour.
Yasha’s story, set against the backdrop of his small village and the collapse of the Soviet system, resonates with the pain of having devoted his entire life to a cause that no longer exists. He has worked in the same factory in a remote town for 45 years, under harsh conditions. He’s now retiring, mainly due to his deteriorating health and mental state. After dedicating his life to the same job and the ideals of the Soviet system, his failing body and mind symbolize the collapse of that very system.
But even worse, Yasha begins talking to Leonid Brezhnev, a politician who served as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Leonid though is dead and Yasha is just hallucinating. Brezhnev, appearing as a delusion, becomes both a companion and a symbol of the past Yasha can’t let go of, reflecting his internal struggle. But at the same time, this hallucination of Brezhnev allows Yasha to give voice to his disillusionment and desperation, while also providing a tragicomic layer. As Yasha’s reality crumbles, his conversations with Brezhnev represent a longing for stability and purpose, even as he grapples with an unkind world that has long since moved on.
Yasha and Leonid Brezhnev deals with the disintegration of memory and identity due to dementia. As Yasha’s mind deteriorates quickly, his reality becomes a blur between historical memory and personal disillusionment, making the film soul-crushing. It’s a black comedy but more importantly it’s a deeply tragic exploration of how clinging to a past that no longer exists can ravage one's soul, creating a stark and heavy emotional experience.
While his loving family tries to support him, his internal struggle and the loss of his mental state, leads to tragic consequences. The film masterfully blends a profound reflection on identity, memory, and the cost of loyalty to a lost cause. As the world has forgotten about himself and his small village, the little bit of him that is left is slowly being erased.
REVIEW: B-
