Dima Niktin, a pragmatic and honest Russian plumber, lives with his parents, wife and son in a small Russian village. When he does some routine reparations on an overpopulated building, he discovers that it is about to be demolished. All night long, he goes up against his superiors and the corrupt local politicians to evacuate its poor and marginal inhabitants – putting his and his family’s future in danger.

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In the Russian tradition of social realist criticism, Yuri Bykov delivers a tough but beautiful and classic film. Its protagonist is an idiot — the literal translation of the Russian “durak” — a naïf who doesn’t see the magnitude of the political corruption around him. Even as it fights back brutally, he pushes on. Even if his fight is in vain and the movie is quite pessimistic, there is no bitter taste, nor is there a sense of futility. By focusing on a pragmatic protagonist who fights not for still-birthed ideals but for concrete human dignity, the director succeeds in making a film with a strong punch. The action takes place in one night, concentrating all its against-the-clock tension with snowy expectation, facing off against vodka-soaked politicos. Not black and white, the film shows that everyone is an idiot when compared to those more powerful. With great supporting roles, an excellent performance by Artem Bystrov and sublime night photography.