Afera
2021 / 10 episodes
Director: Mike Starchak
Genre: Comedy
Country: Russia
Starring: Alexander Volokhov, Danil Steklov, Artyom Gaidukov, Tatyana Lyalina, Natalia Sanko, Svetlana Listova, Anton Nikushin, Mikhail Konovalov, Andrey Kochinov, Alexey Gavrilov, and others.
Synopsis:
Brothers Vanya, Kostya, and Danila Popov had terrorized their village for years, keeping the locals in constant fear. Everything changed with the COVID-19 pandemic: the brothers locked themselves in their house, and for the first time in years, the villagers could finally breathe easy.
When the lockdown ended, the entire community unanimously decided not to inform the Popov family that the quarantine was over. Thus began a grand scheme involving the entire village of 200 people. At stake was the town’s peace and well-being—but how long could they keep the secret, and would it lead to even more serious consequences?
The villagers do everything they can to keep the deception from falling apart. Meanwhile, the youngest Popov falls in love with a nurse from the city, putting the entire plan in jeopardy.
Mike Starchak:
If this project were a race, it would be a 10K
A deeply personal project because I worked on it with my wife, Gala Kadantseva, who has produced many of my shows. If this project were a race, it would be a 10K—not a sprint, but fast-paced. From the first table read to the final day of shooting, we wrapped in just three months. That’s insane! Imagine—casting, scouting locations, and filming an entire project in 90 days.
The producers later released it as a full-length movie, which means we technically shot an entire feature in record time. It was smooth, quick, and fun. We filmed in the Ryazan region during the golden autumn season, so the visuals turned out warm and vibrant. The story? Just as warm and full of heart.