The Asthenic Syndrome (1989)

Soviet Union 153m, Colour/B&W
Director: Kira Muratova; Cast: Olga Antonova, Sergei Popov, Galina Zakhurdayeva,Natalya Buzko, Aleksandra Svenskaya

A film within a film, The Asthenic Syndrome is a chaotic and often confusing comedic drama that begins with a recently widowed woman who angrily confronts pretty much everyone she meets until about the forty minute mark, when it is revealed that we are not the only ones watching this movie. What follows is loosely linked to a man who has a condition which sees him fall asleep at various times through the rest of the film. As a reflection of the frustration and apathy of the citizens of the former Soviet Union, this is a challenging film full of odd dialogue that would benefit from a close understanding of the recent Russian culture history (Klaus Ming October 2016).