YARIK THE ROBINSONE

From the door of an operating room one can clearly hear the beating of a child's heart. Suddenly it stops. A man in a medic's uniform goes out of the room, but we can see only the lower part of his body, up to the belt. In his hand he is holding a donor-container…

The man walks down the empty corridor. The sound of his steps is resonant - one can hear no other sound in the corridor! Only an oppressive silence in the intervals of the man's steps. He goes along the same corridor Yarik will later come into the clinic.

The man pushes the door and goes out into the street. An ambulance is waiting for him here. The man gets into it. The car's door is being closed with a bang and at the same moment the sound of the emergency signal is heard. The ambulance starts and speeds to the gates.

All sounds disappear. After a pause one can hear the noises of a railway station. The next episode begins.

The waiting hall of the railway station appears. There is a Christmas tree. There is a row of seats just opposite the tree: there sit Yarik and his mother. The mother hums a lullaby - this is going to be the leading motive all along the film.

Yarik tries not to get to sleep, and, and each time he emerges out of his dosing, he looks at the Christmas tree, as if checking if it is still there. For a second he looks at the garlands of little electric bulbs and other decorations on the tree, suddenly it seems to him that he sees gigantic snow flakes which are flying around the tree. Yarik smiles with the corners of his lips, but his eyes are closing and again he falls asleep…

THE VOIC OF AN ANNOUNCER: Attention please! The fast train number 32 Moscow - Novokuznetsk is now boarding. Platform three, track six.

Hearing the announcement the people begin to move. Those who are leaving by this train, go the exit.

Yarik wakes up, tries to brace up, looks around.

YARIK: Has Father come yet?!

MOTHER: No, not yet.

YARIK: Is he going to come at all?

MOTHER: But of course.

YARIK: Does he really know that we have arrived? Have you called him? Perhaps you have dialed a wrong number and talked to another person?

MOTHER: Do not invent things. I could not have mistaken…

YARIK: You could! You have not seen him for half a year.

MOTHER: Don't be scared, he called me "Snow flake".

YARIC: Yes, then it was him.

Yarik nods and smiles for some reason. Obviously his mother's words have comforted him.

MOTHER: Try to sleep.

YARIK: I do not need to, I have already slept. Now it's your turn.

The mother smiles, but rather sadly and one can see tiredness in her eyes. She nods to her son. Yarik pulls on his sporting cap, puts up one of his arms and offers his shoulder to his mother. The woman hides her legs in rather shabby white high boots under the seat (there is an old sporting bag with all their things) and, having adjusted the collar of her red winter coat, puts her head on the boy's shoulder. Yarik embraces her with one hand. He feels uncomfortable in this position, he has to sit up so that his mother could be more comfortable. The mother closes her eyes.

Yarik watches the people around: In uncomfortable armchairs in most strange positions the passengers are trying to sleep. They move, change their positions, rub the numb parts of their bodies.

In the corner people play a kind of oriental checkers (nards). The players argue in their Asian language, swear loudly or laugh and continue to play.

Yarik looks around. Having noticed somebody he shudders.

A policeman (Samokhin by name) is walking between the rows of seats He finds a vagrant. The policeman presses his club into the chest of the man. The vagrant wakes up an obediently gets up, quickly picks up his scares belongings and leaves the hall. The policeman continues his beat.

Yarik huddles himself up.

The policeman walks now in their direction. Yarik gets on the alert and tighter embraces his mother.

The policeman looks at Yarik and his mother. The woman raises her head and looks curtly at the cop. On can see humiliation and obedience in her look.

The policeman passes by.

The mother adjusts the cap on the boy's head.

For a long time Yarik watches the checkers players. Then his eyes stop at…

… a man ho is sitting opposite them. The man gets a fried chicken from his bag and puts it on his knees.

Yarik hungrily watches his every movement.

…The man's fingers tear a very appetizing part of the chicken and put it into the man's mouth.

Yarik swallows his saliva and makes himself look in another direction.

The checkers players fold the checkers' board and now eat flat cakes and boiled meat with vegetables. Yarik sighs and closes his eyes. His mother opens her eyes, sees the chicken and Yarik's hungry look.

Mother: - Do you want to eat?

Yarick negatively shakes his head.

Yarik: - No. It's bad for one's health to eat at night, isn't it?

The mother is looking at Yarik.

The man has almost finished eating his chicken.

Yarick is not able to tear his eyes away from the food. His mother gets up.

Mother: - Don't go away. I'll go and buy something to eat. Watch our luggage.

Yarik nods joyfully and smiles at his mother. She has hardly left the seat, when she notices the policemen. Goes back, gets their tickets and her passport, puts the documents into the inner pocket of her coat and carefully buttons the coat - just for safety sake. She walks away.

Yarik watches her go and puts one of his legs on their bag.

The mother goes to the farthest corner of the hall where one can see a brightly illuminated logo of a cafe. Off frame we hear the announcement about boarding a train. The boy looks at the…

… the electronic time-table board: 01 hours 10 minutes December 31 of 2005

Yarik shivers from cold, puts his arms around himself adn lowers his head, but he closely watches…

…the man who now begins to eat the drum-stick of his chicken.

Yarik's mother studies the show case of the cafe. Gets a ten rubles bill and some coins. She looks at the price tags.

She buys nothing and leaves.

From afar Yarik sees:

His mother exits the cafe. But she does not go towards him, she goes in some other direction, though sometimes curtly looks at Yarik.

Yarik jumps up from his seat, he wants to run after her.

But the mother waves her hand and with a gesture shows him that he should sit down, and she soon disappears behind the corner.

The man is finishing his chicken drum-stick, he sometimes looks at Yarik and his mother.

Yarik slowly sits down.

Yarik's mother walks past a row of kiosks.

In a newspaper stall she sees at the most prominent place the newspaper with a large headline: "Parentless children disappear in Moscow!" And the subtitle " Who and where sells the kids?"

She comes up to a food stuffs kiosk. Looks through the glass of the show window. There are plenty of things, but the prices are even higher then in the cafe.

The sales-lady indifferently looks at Yarik's mother.

The mother sees sandwiches with sausage and cheese. The price tag says 14 rubles.

The sales-lady: - What do you want?

The mother: - Do you have something for 13 rubles and forty kopeks?

The sales-lady looks at show-window, then at the woman with dull expression.

The sales-lady: Fruit-drops… a small package 11 rubles.

The mother: Do you perhaps have any pastries?..

The sales-lady shakes her head negatively. The mother is upset and wants to leave, but is stopped by the sales-lady's voice.

The sales-lady: Wait; give me your thirteen rubles and forty kopeks.

The Mother gives her the money.

The sales-lady throws the money into the box of the cash register without counting and gives the mother a slice of bread with cheese.

The mother smiles bashfully and thanks the lady several times.

The mother: - Thank you, thank you very much. It's not for me, it's for my son, his name is Yarik! Let God be with you!

The sales-lady: Oh, forget it. And where are you from?

The mother: - From Bishkek.

The sales-lady: Where?

The mother: It's in Kirgizia. My husband works here at a construction site. We don't have jobs back home. We have come here to see him, after all it's the New Year, but he has not met us…

The sales-lady: You should not have come to Moscow without money!

The Mother: - But he was to meet us here…

The sales-lady nods sympathetically.

The mother thanks her again, nods to he gratefully and leaves.

She walks back to the waiting hall. She sees it through the glass windows, she sees Yarik, and the lights on the Christmas tree and their reflections on Yarik's sleepy face.

Off screen we hear the announcement of another train boarding. A crowd carrying suitcases, bags and backpacks rushes from the doors.

The mother is caught by the crowd. She is trying to keep the bread with cheese on the paper plate. For some time she lets the crowd surround her and make her follow it's direction. She is just like a little wooden shaving in a fast spring stream.

The train slowly backs towards the platform.

The mother tries to get out of the crowd.

From behind her, like a predator, the railway car backs to the end of the platform. There are only several meters between her and the car.

The crowd pushes the woman back. She hugs the plate with the bread and cheese. It is only with great efforts that she manages to get free.

-Watch it! - Shouts a man, moving a loaded luggage cart. The mother jumps away. The crowd again carries her away. Her coat is unbuttoned… The woman stops at the very edge of the platform, she is being pushed from all sides by suitcases and bags. She looks scared and helpless…

Somebody's bag painfully pushes her on her shoulder.

The bread and cheese fall down just on the rails.

Her eyes are fixed at the…

nearing railway car…

Give way, watch out! - Another luggage cart driver shouts, splitting the crowd into two parts…

Somebody strongly pushes the mother. She cries out… The head of the woman goes down, disappears behind the whirling crowd. The shouts of terror, all sorts of noises and the gritting of the train's brakes.

- Oh, - a woman's voice is heard, - a woman has been pushed down!

The man who has pushed the woman looks back, sees…

…the commotion near the last car, but he cannot see what is happening there.

But the crowd pushes on, the man sets right the belt of his bag on his shoulder and walks ahead.

Yarik looks up at…

The electronic clock: 01. 27 December 31, 2005

Yarik casts a look at the man sitting opposite him.

The man wraps the leftovers of his supper in a newspaper and puts it into a plastic bag.

Yarick looks at the clock again..

The clock: 1.28 December 31, 2005

Yarik is worried, he gets up from his seat, looks about. And moves towards the exit between the rows of seats. Then he hurriedly gets back and puts his cap on his seat and asks his neighbor:

-Will you please say, if anyone wants to sit here, that the seats are occupied…please!

The man looks at the seats marked by the kid's cap and nods.

- O.K. I'll do this, but you'd better put your cap on.

Yarik puts his cap on and leaves. His bag is under the seat.

The man follows him with his eyes.

Yarik goes to the place where he last has seen his mother, turns the corner.

There is nobody at the cafe. Only the sales-lady sitting at the counter. She is obviously bored.

Yarik comes up to the counter, stands on his tip-toes and asks:

- Have you by any chance seen my mother, she is a beautiful lady and has a red coat on…

The sales lady stands up and looks at the boy from above.

- She went to buy some food and obviously is lost somewhere here.

- I'm not going to give you anything.

- But I am not asking…

Yarik does not understand what has happened. He steps back and leaves. The sales lady looks at him suspiciously.

Yarik comes back to his seats and sits down. He does not look up, trying to hide his eyes.

The man sees that the boy has got sad.

The checkers players are shouting in their language.

Yarik turns to look at them.

The man does not know how to calm the boy down.

Suddenly Yarik gets up from his seat and shouts "Mother!"

A woman wearing the same kind of red coat is walking to the exit among many other passengers.

The man looks at what is happening with great interest.

Yarik rushes to the exit, slips and falls down.

The woman walks out of the waiting hall without looking back.

Yarik runs after her as fast as possible. The baggage carrier crosses his way.

The man, his neighbor, cries - That is not your mother!

Yarik looks back at him with deprecation.

The man stops smiling, he is confused.

Yarik runs out of the waiting hall.

Yarik stands on the platform.

There are lots of people, and a lot of commotion. He can see his mother nowhere.

People are crowding at the first track. They are excited and look somewhere down. Several policemen try to disperse the crowd. Women sigh heavily. Other passengers just stop for a moment at this place and go away.

Yarik turns round and round looking in all direction. And suddenly he sees for a moment…

…the red coat! The woman walks along the platform towards the train.

Yarik rushes after her.

The sound of the ambulance signal is heard. The ambulance rides along the platform.

Yarik tries to catch up with the woman. He sees how she shows her ticket to the ticket inspector, he looks at it and nods towards the railway car. She puts one of her legs on the step of the car, but at this moment a loud and desperate cry "MOTHER!" makes her turn back. Yarik sees that she is not his mother. He slows down and stops. He breathes heavily, but he is glad that this has been just a mistake.

The ticket inspector and the woman in red look with surprise at the boy who has stopped several steps from them. He smiles happily, though just a moment ago has been yelling like mad. The woman goes into the car.

Yarik smiles happily, wipes of his tears. He turns back and walks towards the railway station waiting-hall. He walks toward the beginning of the platform, slaps himself on the forehead… smiles. The people are surprised. One of them asks Yarik.

- I just took one lady for another person, - answers Yarik and runs towards the waiting-hall. The people still do not understand anything.

After a short run Yarik starts to walk. He hurries to the waiting hall.

He hears the signal of the ambulance. The ambulance is leaving the railway station. Yarik stops to let the car pass. When the ambulance leaves he rushes to the waiting hall.

Yarik rushes into the waiting hall. Looks for his seat near the Christmas tree.

The seats are empty. His mother is not there.

He looks around in confusion. Goes to his seat.

The man opens his eyes, raises his head and sees Yarik in front of him. Looks at the empty seat next to Yarik. Sees Yarik's eyes red of crying. The man gets nervous, it seems that somewhere deep in his soul he sympathizes with Yarik, then he frowns.

- Don't worry. She'll be back soon.

The man unwraps the leftovers of the chicken and offers them to Yarik.

Yarik stops winking his eyes, thinks of what he should say, and nods.

- And what about you, are you not hungry any more?

This kind of question seems to confuse the man a little. Then he points at the seat next to him.

- I am not hungry, - the man smiles. - Have some.

The boy changes his seat. Now he sits next to the man.

He hungrily looks at the leftovers of the chicken.

- Are your hands clean? - the man asks Yarik.

Yarik nods, but instinctively hides his hands behind his back. The man pretends that he does not see this. He puts a sheet of paper on Yarik's knees, separates some meat from the bones and puts it on the paper. He shows with a gesture that Yarik should not waste time and eat. Yarik takes the meat trying to show that he can behave well, but eats hungrily and fast.

- Don't be in such a hurry.

The boy nods and smiles to the man, he notices…

…a plastic bag on the floor on the other side of the man. He asks with his mouth full.

- And what do you have there? You shouldn't leave things without watching them!

- You are right! But don't be in such hurry. Nobody is going to take the food away from you.

The man takes the bag and takes a thermos with tea from it, a couple of slices of bread and a tomato. He gives the bread to the boy and cuts the tomato into four parts with his pen-knife, pours the tea into a plastic cup. He holds the cup in his hand and waits until the boy finishes the chicken. Yarik picks each bone carefully and eats even the cartilages.

- You'd better eat meat.

Yarik shakes his head negatively.

- My dad says that cartilages is the food for real men, they give strength.

- Your father does not understand everything.

The man smiles and is forced to agree. Yarik now chews slower and hiccups. The man passes the cup to him. The boy takes the cup with his two hands.

- Watch out, it's hot.

For a long time the boy blows at the tea. Starts to drink. But the tea is too hot. There are tears in his eyes, but he smiles.

- Yes, it is hot! - Says Yarik.

- So I told you. Well, have you had enough?

Yark nods. The man takes the paper with bones, a slice of bread and two parts of the tomato from Yarik's knees, crumples the paper and throws it into a litter bin.

The boy watches him with horror.

- But there is bread! - says Yarik indignantly.

The man raises his eyebrows in surprise, then we can see that he is embarrassed:

- I simply have not noticed it.

He offers Yarik a chocolate candy in a bright wrapping paper. The boy slowly unwraps the candy. He cracks the candy in two. One of the halves he wraps in the paper and begins drinking tea and eating the candy. The man smiles slightly.

- Well, shall we introduce ourselves to each other? - Suggests the man.

- Yes, - agrees Yarik.

- My name is Arkady, and what is your name?

- Does it mean Yaroslav, am I right?

Yarik shakes his head negatively.

- Pleased to meet you.

- The pleasure is mine. Thank you.

They shake hands. Yarik vigorously shakes the man's hand. The man smiles and than starts to laugh.

THE VOICE OF THE ANNOUNCER: - Attention please. The fast train number 74 Moscow Barnaul is now boarding. Platform Number Two, track four.

The man listens and raises his finger, then he nods.

- It's my train! I must go now.

Yarik gets sad right away, but he tries not to show it. He lowers his head to hides his tears.

- Yarik, what's the matter?

Yarik does not answer. The man gets confused. Then he puts on his cap and the scarf. He stands there stepping from one foot to the other. He feels uneasy.

- Perhaps my mother has left without me? - Yarik says almost whispering.

- Nonsense! How could she have left without you. It cannot be so. Don't even think about it! She'll be here soon. She has simply has been detained for some reason… You just wait for her here.

Yarik looks sadly at the man.

- Well, goodbye Yarik!

The man stretches his arm towards Yarik. Yarik is all right now He has managed to subdue his weakness. He jumps down from his seat and shakes the man's hand. He shakes it quite vigorously, and it looks rather funny. The man takes his bag and goes away.

Yarik follows the man with his eyes down to the exit.

The man leaves the waiting hall without looking back. The door behind him closes.

Yarik gives a deep sigh and slowly goes to his seat, the one he sat in together with his mother. He sits down and looks at the clock: 02.00

Now its 02,01 on the clock.

Yarick sighs again, wraps himself better in his jacket, puts on his cap, puts his nose into its collar. His leg is on the bag.

The policeman (Samokhin) walks along the row of seats, in one of them sleeps Yarik. He comes up to Yarik. Looks at him for a long time and than rather rudely asks the woman who is sitting next to Yarik.

The woman looks with surprise at the policeman, then at sleeping Yarik and negatively shakes her head.

- I thought so, - says the policeman.

He shakes Yarik with his club.

The woman looks at the policeman deprecatingly but keeps silent.

It takes Yarik a long time to wake up. The policeman continues to shake Yariks shoulder with his club, but this time a bit stronger.

- Hey, you, wake up. Wake up I say!

Yarik opens his eyes. Looks around. With his eyes he looks for his mother, but sees an unknown woman sitting next to him, and in front of him…

…he sees a very strict policeman.

Yarik: Good morning!

The policeman: Who do you belong to?

Yarik: To my Father and Mother.

The policeman: And where are they?

Yarik: I don't know, Father hasn't met us, and Mother has gone to buy some pastry.

The policeman: And how long ago?

Yarik: Not long ago.

The policeman looks at him with suspicion.

The policeman: How can you know, if you have been sleeping?

Yarik looks at the clock.

Yarik is confused for a second.

- I've fallen asleep just recently. She went, and I have fallen asleep.

The policeman thinks, his thoughts do not promises Yarik anything good. Suddenly the woman tries to defend the boy.

- Listen, why are you bothering the child? Don't you see he is frightened!

- I do not see his mother, - says Samokhin.

- But I have seen her and can confirm the boy's words!

The policemen nods and leaves.

Yarik looks at the woman gratefully, his eyes are bright. (She saw his mother!), the woman smiles at him approvingly.

- Well, little boy, go on sleeping. Get warm. It's very cold outside!

- And where is my mother? - He asks the woman lively.

The smile disappears from her face. She is confused. She actually took the boy for a vagrant. Now she does not know what to do and how to answer the boy's question.

- Has she forsaken me? - whispers the boy.

The woman shrugs her shoulders. Yarik is offended, he sighs. And suddenly bends down and looks under the seat- the bag is not there!!!

- My bag!!! Are you going to be her for some time yet? - Yarik gets up. There are tears in his eyes. He is convinced that his mother has taken the bag while he has been sleeping and ran away!

- Hey, where are you going, what if your mother returns?

- She will not come, she has forsaken me! You see, our bag has disappeared, - says Yarik and stops. Than, after thinking a while, adds: - But if she comes back, tell her that I have gone to the toilette.

Yarik goes to the exit. First he walks slowly, than begins to run.

The woman nods and turns away from Yarik as if by doing this she wants to get rid of Yarik and his problems.

Yaric runs through the railway station. He looks in all direction trying to find a toilette. There are doors in front of him, he pushes them open.

Yarik stops impressed or even shocked by the view. The Three Railway Stations Square! Huge buildings, the streams of cars, the sounds of hooting, of special vehicles' signals, the shouts of taxi drivers and luggage carriers.

Yarik stands with his mouth open holding the doors with his hands. People begin crowding behind him. A man, obviously from the Caucasus holding two huge bags on his shoulders pushes Yarik with his knee, grumbling.

- Hey! Go on! What are you standing here for?

Yarik is pushed out into the street. The steam goes out of his opens mouth, he is flabbergasted by the view. His eyes are searching around. He knits his brow, raises one of his knees, looks around and moves towards a corner. While he runs he all the time looks back, trying to remember the way. There are lots of people and cars behind the corner. There is no place to hide. Yarik is almost crying. He jumps over a chain fencing the territory of a parking lot. He is maneuvering among the cars. Finally he reaches the last car in the last row. Looks around. He pulls up his jacket and tries to unzip his jeans. But he cannot do it - his fingers are too cold and numb. Yarik is ready to howl, tears are running from his eyes. He clenches his teeth, his face is distorted, he continues to struggle with the zip. Finally he manages this. Yarik is taking a leak with his head up, he smiles.

From a billboard Santa Claus smiles at him, he offers him a bag of Christmas gifts. Yarik is happy, the little jet gets on a wheel of a foreign made car.

Suddenly, from behind, he hears the voice of a security man.

- You, what do you think you are doing?! Stop pissing on the car!

Yarik starts but cannot stop.

- Hey, you, can't you hear me? The security man shouts.

- I can…not stop, - Yarik says in a low voice.

Fast steps are heard from behind Yarik's back, the ice is crisping under the feet of the security man.

Finally Yarik stops pissing, zips up his trousers and runs away.

The security man tries to catch him but he slips on ice and falls on his back.

Yarik jumps over the chain and runs just where his feet are leading him.

Yarik stands on the steps leading down to the underground passage. He is frightened and confused. He looks back trying to find the railway station. He makes another step down, but dares not go further down. He sees ...

… people with bags and luggage carts walk down in the passage. Everyone is in a hurry. Just like at the railway station.

This makes Yarik a bit braver. Yarik is pushed by the people from all sides. They pass him by from both sides. Yarik makes several steps aside and leans on the banister. He looks down, then in the direction of the railway station. His despair is growing. Suddenly Yarik grabs a man walking down the steps by the arm. The man, having even not pulled his hand from the pocket, shoves Yarik off.

- I don't have any change!

After this rude shout Yarik hides his head between his shoulders and walks back to the banister. For a long time he looks down the steps.

Feet walk, run and slip passing Yarik by, some of them jump over two steps, shuffle.

Yarik, full of determination, blocks the way of a passer-by by stretching his arms in both sides.

Yarik: Is this the way to the railway station?!

The elderly man pulls up his eyebrows with surprise an answers in confusion.

- Thank you, but I know this.

Yarik puts down his arms and jumps back to the banister. He thinks, biting his lip. Then starts walking down the steps to the underground passage. Yarik squeezes himself into the crowd of people and is almost running in order not to fall and be stepped on.

Suddenly the stream of people splits into two!

Yarik stops and with determination turns …

…in the direction where most of the people go.

The stream of people again becomes large and very thick. Yarik is squeezed from all sides. He stretches out his neck and breathes the air greedily in with his mouth. His cap is askew, but Yarik can do nothing about it because his arms are pressed to his body by the crowd.

Yarik moves his legs, looks in all directions and suddenly a groan of scare and despair flies out from his lips! Yarick is seized by panic. He makes a loudest scream possible.

- Whose child is this?! - A woman cries out.

The people dash aside from him in all directions, apologize to each other thinking that they have squeezed somebody else's child.

Yarik adjusts his cap. Its easier to walk now - the people are keeping at a distance from him. But this distance disappears quite soon, it shrinks catastrophically fast! Yarik literally is squeezed into the entrance hall of the subway.

Noise and shouts, the sounds of the turnstiles and the words of a woman on duty heard from a loudspeaker. The woman tries to have at least some order at the entrance.

Now Yarik have mastered the situation. He no longer keeps his arms down. His arms and hands are at his chest. He elbows his way through the crowd, pushing away legs, backs and buttocks of people. His face is red from his efforts. There are drops of sweat on his forehead. Yarik clenches his teeth and with a distorted face continues the struggle for his life. Suddenly he finds himself before a turnstile. A man pushes Yarik aside and goes forward. Yarik tries to keep up with him, but metal traps appear, striking Yarik's hand painfully, like real hunting traps. Yarik cries with pain and jerks back his hand.

The roar of an alarm signal.

Yarik rubs his hand, one can see horror and tears in his eyes. But he is not crying.

Somebody's hands pick him up, take him over the obstacle and put him down. A man's surprised voice is heard from behind.

- Where is your mother, kid?

But Yarik has no time to answer.

The man gives him a farewell smile and disappears on the steps of the escalator. Yarik raises his head and cries after the man.

- I don't know, she has got lost. Where is the railway station?

Yarik rushes after the man to the escalator, but he is too late, more than twenty people have went down the steps after the man.

Yarik stands before scary clanging steps moving down. He steps on one of them, because somebody is grumbling behind him and tells him to hurry up.

- Whose is this child?! Hold him! - A young girl walks down the steps.

Yarik goes down. Looks aside, trying to find the man who has saved him from the turnstile. But the people all the time shout to watch out. They are running down the escalator. Yarik lowers his head between his shoulders, lets a running man pass and then again tries to spot the kind man.

Suddenly a new danger appears. The steps go under metal teeth, they look very frightening.

Yarik looks at the metal teeth with horror, the teeth come closer with every second.

The teeth clang and he even thinks that they smack their lips. Yarik's eyes become glassy. He looks at the teeth, they clang again.

Yarik starts to run up the steps. He clutches at the moving banister, looks back, tries to save his life by running away, but he collides with somebody's coat. There is no time to run back. Yarik jumps up, as high as possible, and escapes the predatory teeth. Yarik follows the flow of people. He sometimes looks back, as if he does not believe that he has escaped so easily!

There is a great crowd on the platform. Yarik is in the first row of people. Almost all the people bend a little down and look into the tunnel.

Yarik imitates their movements, bends a little and looks into the tunnel. There in the depth of the tunnel lights appear and together with them there comes the whistling wind.

Yarik's eyes become wide with surprise.

The lights in the tunnel suddenly turn into a clanging and screeching train. It speeds past Yarik.

Yarik is frightened, makes a step back and leans on an elderly lady. The woman is surprised, looks at Yarik and than tears his hands from her coat. The woman enters the train's car checking her pockets and her purse.

Yarik is literally carried into the car. He finds himself face to face to a sitting young man reading a book.

The doors of the car close, the train starts.

Yarik has nothing to hold on. The train jerks and Yarik has to clutch his hand at the young man's knee in order not to fall.

The young man raises his head from the book and looks…

at Yarik and then at a nice looking girl. He thinks perhaps that Yarik is either her son or a younger brother. He smiles at the girl.

She also smiles at him with rather reserved and tired smile.

The young man closes the book and stretches out his hands to Yarik. With this gesture he shows Yarik that he may sit on his knees. Yarik does this without any shyness. The young man tries to make Yarik more comfortable and looks at the girl hoping for gratitude.

But she pays no attention to him. She turns and begins to elbow her way to the doors.

The young man looks at the girl then at Yarik in confusion.

The train stops, the girl exits the car. Several people come in, the doors are closed, the train moves on.

The young man is at a loss, and his confusion grows when he understands that the people around have nothing to do with Yarik. The young man gets up, puts Yarik in his seat and with his eyes low moves towards the door.

The people watch him in surprise. How come? He has left the child behind! Left the child? They look at Yarik trying to see at least some negative respond on his face which might confirm their silent supposition.

But Yarik on the other hand is quite happy that now he has a seat of his own.

The train stops and the young man hurriedly leaves the car. Many people exit the car after him. Now the subway train's car is almost empty. Yarik moves closer to the partition, puts his head on it and closes his eyes.

Yarik is sleeping…

The doors of the car open and a lot of people enter the car. An elderly man sees a vacant seat next to Yarik, flops into the seat. By doing this he pushes Yarik a bit. He wakes up, yawns and rubs his eyes and pulls down his cap. He looks around, trying to understand where he is. When he understands this, he becomes rather dismal. For a long time he looks down in front of him at the legs of the passengers. Then he squints his eyes and watches…

… how the elderly man sitting next to him gets his glasses, unfolds a newspaper and starts reading it. Yarik looks at him attentively and for a long time, then he carefully knocks on the hand of the man with just one finger. The man lowers the newspaper and questioningly looks at Yarik over his eyeglasses.

- What do you want, little boy?

- How can I get to a construction site? - Yarik asks.

The man is surprised.

-Which construction site?

-The largest one, where they pay a lot.

-And what do you need it for?

- My father works there.

- In what capacity, what is his profession.?

- I don't know, my mother didn't tell me about it. I only heard that he welds iron.

- So this means that your father is a welder.

Yarick nods, but he is not quite sure.

- And where is your mother?

Yarik lowers his head blows up his lips and nervously an with irritation shrugs his shoulders.

- Well, I understand.

He folds up his paper, puts it in his pocket, takes off his glasses, puts them into the spectacle-case an puts it into the inside pocket of his coat. He gets up and gives Yarik his hand, he invites Yarik to go with him. Yarik raises his head and casts a suspicious side-glance at the man. But he does not see any danger in his kind and open face. He clutches at the man's hand and jumps off his seat.

They come to the door of the car. Wait for the train to stop and the doors open.

The train leaves the platform.

Yarik stands a bit away from the elderly man and a tall young policemen, Yarik watches them.

They talk about something. Both of them gesticulate actively and argue heatedly about something. The man demands something but the young cop justifies himself rather aggressively.

Yarik sees that both of them turn their heads in Yarik's direction and look at him rather angrily. Yarik is at a loss, he feels danger. He begins to look around trying to define his way of retreat.

The policemen adjusts his belt with a club on it and walks towards Yarik. Yarik is frightened, he looks at the cop, then there appears a questioning expression on his face, and that of surprise.

He sees how the man begins to smile.

Yarik understands that the man has betrayed him! He makes a step back, turns and runs away as fast as possible. The young cop chases him.

As to the elderly man, he turns to the train that has just arrived and enters one of its cars fast.

The passer-bys watch the cop chasing a small boy and finally catching up with him and grasping him by the collar of his jacket.

The people look back with surprise and then just hurry on to take care of their own problems.

The cop lifts Yarik up by his collar and drags him somewhere. Yarik's feet can hardly reach the floor. He actually has to tiptoe not to be strangled, so he is as meek as mouse. His arms are just hanging down like empty dummies. The cop, walking fast, crosses the hall of the station, walks up the steps of the escalator. Yarik, when seeing the dangerous steps and the metal teeth, tries to protest, but the policeman pays no attention to this. He lifts Yarik once again and puts him on the steps. They are going up.

With a free hand the policeman pushes the door and brings Yarik in. Yarik finds himself in a narrow corridor. He is really frightened. He looks around trying to define the degree of danger. Suddenly he sees a metal cage and a live man in it. Shocked Yarik opens his mouth and stares at the man in the cage.

The cop makes Yarik sit on a chair next to the cage.

The man in the cage, of about thirty years old and obviously tipsy, sees Yarik's shocked look and understands what the matter is. He begins to imitate the movements and gestures of a big ape, purses his lips, scratches his head and makes a kind of honking sounds, though very low, for the cops not to hear him. The policeman does not notice this, he is preoccupied arguing with the policeman on duty.

- What the hell have you brought him here for?! - The cop on duty shouts.

- He is a waif. He got lost.

- A waif. Then let him get himself found. What shall do with him? You know that they don't come at once. It might take hours for them to come…

Yarik watches the man in the cage. Quite unwillingly he starts imitating his gestures and also makes faces. The man in the cage stops his tricks and kindly smiles at Yarik.

Yarik also smiles in response and even gives a small laugh.

- Sit here! - Says the policeman, coming up to Yarik…

Yarik cannot take his eyes off the guy in the cage.

The policeman leaves the boy alone and returns to his desk.

- It's none of my concern, - says he to the sergeant on duty.

- …and where can I put him? In the cage? - answers the sergeant on duty indignantly.

- Well, I am turning him over to you. The decision is yours.

The policeman, never even giving Yarik another glance, quickly goes out.

The sergeant on duty rises from his chair and stares at Yarik from behind his desk. Then the sergeant on duty picks up the phone and makes a call.

- Hallo, is that the reception center? That's the seventeenth picket, Octyabrskaya street, calling. Come and take a waif. Five, maybe six years old… How the hell can I know? I don't have time to bother with him… When?! Are you kidding me or what?! And earlier, you can't?.. Well, OK, OK.

The sergeant on duty drops the phone on the receiver, angrily looks at Yarik, sits down again, lights a cigarette and opens an English textbook and soon is absorbed in it. He moves his lips, striving to memorize words and expressions. Glances up at Yarik and says in English:

- "What is your name, boy?"

Yarik inquiringly stares back at the sergeant on duty. Then glances at BORIS. Boris shrugs his shoulders and answers in low voice:

- If you don't want to answer, do not answer. You have a right of council.

The sergeant on duty glares at the guy.

The guy says nothing. He turns to Yarik.

- Why were you alone in the subway? - goes on the sergeant on duty.

Yarik glances to Boris again. Boris shrugs his shoulders apologetically, as if meaning to say: sorry, old chap, can't help, try to manage the situation yourself.

- I was going to my father… to the construction site.

- Have you come from far away?

- What do you mean - "yes"?

- I am asking - where from?

- From the railway station.

- Been in Moscow long?

- No. Not long - a night, a day, and this night.

- Whom have you come with?

- And where is you mother?

- You mean, you lost her in the subway?

Yarik keeps silence.

- She has left you in the subway?

- No. At the railway station.

- At the railway station? - the sergeant on duty is astonished. - What railway station?

- At the Kazan Railway station.

The sergeant on duty sighs noisily.

- OK. Let them sort it out when they come for you.

The sergeant on duty takes a piece of paper and writes something down.

Yarik lowers his head down, secretly glances at Boris. Boris tries to cheer him up with a glance: you are doing fine, good boy. Then the guy turns to the sergeant on duty:

- Listen, officer, how about some hot tea? It's rather cold in here.

- Yea, with raspberry jam, - Yarik agrees.

The sergeant on duty looks at Boris and Yarik. Then the sergeant on duty lights a cigarette and stares at Yarik for a long time. Then he picks up his English textbook.

- Commander, - Boris addresses the sergeant on duty, - do let me go. I'm quite sober now.

- I'm repentant. I'm reforming. I won't do it again! - Boris winks at Yarik.

- I won't do it again either, - says Yarik.

- Shut up, both of you! - bellows the officer on duty.

- How about making a deal, er, commander? - insists Boris.

- I don't get it. What do you mean - "a deal"? Didn't Seryoga search you properly? - The sergeant on duty pins Boris with piercing look. - He'll be back in no time. We'll search you again.

- I don't have a thing on me…

- We'll see. You have any objections?

- Then shut up. Silence in the monkey-house.

The sergeant on duty buries himself in his book once again.

The guy in the cage casts a cautious glance at the sergeant on duty, and whisper to Yarik.

Yarik bends forward to get closer to the guy in the cage, casts a glance at the sergeant on duty too, and whispers, trying to speak as cheerfully as the guy:

- My name is Boris. But my friends call me Black Jack.

- Friends call me Black Jack because I play cards for money. And sometimes I cheat.

Having done an imperceptible motion Boris produces a business card seemingly from nowhere.

- My mother told me that it is bad to play cards.

- Your mother was absolutely right.

Boris gingerly pushes his hand through the bars. Yarik reaches out his hand. They shake hands. Like the last time, Yarik really does shake his new friend's hand, and looks terribly funny while doing so. The guy smiles, and suddenly a playing card appears in his hand, seemingly from nowhere, then another and another. Surprised Yarik gives a cry, and immediately covers his mouth with his palm.

In Boris's hand there appears a business card, then it disappears, and instead of it there appears a gold watch with a gold bangle.

Boris carefully puts the watch into Yarik's hand.

Yarik closes his fist.

- Hide it, - says Boris.

Yarik tries to put the watch into his pocket, but drops it.

The sergeant on duty looks up and sees the watch lying on the floor. He runs up, picks the watch up quickly.

- Just look at this! - says the sergeant, and turns to Yarik: - Has he give it to you? Where did you get it from? Where did you get it from? He has given it to you? Yes? Answer me! It's he!! He!!!

Yarik is all eyes. He stares up at the sergeant on duty, and he is afraid, but he doesn't give Boris away.

Boris hopefully looks at Yarik.

Yarik bits his lip and stubbornly keeps silence. Then the sergeant on duty gives the kid a flick on the nose, and goes on asking "He has given it to you? Answer me!"

He grabs Yarik's jacket and shakes the boy, more and more violently. Yarik keeps silence. He cries, but silently.

Suddenly Boris kicks the bars of the cage and bellows at the sergeant on duty:

- Hey, you shit, you are out of your mind or what? Let the kid go!!!

The sergeant on duty lets Yarik go. Goes to his desk, puts the watch down. Picks up walkie-talkie.

- The fifth! The first is speaking! Drop in for a moment.

- Affirmative, the first, - comes a voice from the walkie-talkie.

Boris gets a calling card from his pocket and gives it to Yarik. Yarik quickly hides the business card into his pocket.

- Find me, - whispers Boris.

The sergeant on duty picks up the club hanging on the chair and approaches the cage.

A sturdy policeman rushes into the police station.

- He is violent, - the sergeant on duty nods at Boris.

- Got your meaning, - answers the sturdy policeman.

They open the cage and start beating Boris. Boris tries to shield himself with his hands.

Yarik sits as if turned to stone. His mouth is partly opened. Tears run down his cheeks.

Boris notices Yarik's reaction.

- It doesn't hurt at all, - says he. - Not the least bit.

Boris clings to the bars, the policemen beat him on the back.

Boris glances meaningfully at the desk, where the watch is, then at Yarik.

Yarik rises from his chair.

Boris dashes to the far corner of the cage. The policemen follow him. Suddenly Boris starts yelling piercingly.

Yarik rushes to the desk, picks the watch and runs to the door!

The sergeant on duty notices that something rushes past him. He looks at the empty chair.

- Hey, where do you think you are going?! - cries the sergeant on duty.

He runs out of the cage, rushes out of the door. Outside the door there is a bustle of people. Yarik is nowhere to be seen.

Yarik pushes the heavy door leading out of the subway and rushes out into the street. Runs down the steps… panic-stricken, he runs along the streets… darts into alleys, and only when he is quite exhausted he stops and tumbles down on a snow-covered bench. He tries to recover and breathe normally. He spits on the ground. Wipes his mouth, worriedly turning his head this way and that way and glancing around. He sees that there is no pursuit, and calms down. Wipes tears and sweat off his face. Takes off his cap. His head immediately starts steaming. Yarik puts the cap back on, leans on the back of the bench, closes his eyes.

But when he opens his eyes he immediately notices…

…pigeons and sparrows, pecking bread-crumbs, that an old woman throws to them, crumbling a very appetizing loaf of bread.

Yarik can't tear his eyes off…

…that loaf of bread. The old woman tears with arthritic fingers a new piece and throws it to the birds. The birds hungrily peck the bread away…

Yarik with greatest effort makes himself turn away.

The old woman is so engrossed in the bird-feeding, that she notices neither the child, nor his hungry eyes…

Yarik, who has recovered at last, gets up from the bench heavily and goes away.

Yarik goes to the bakery department. He looks at the show-case full of different kinds of pastries, rolls and buns.

- Can I have this bun? - he asks the salesgirl.

- Of course you can. If you have the money, buy what you like.

- I have some money. - Yarik takes out of his pocket the business card, the gold watch and a coin, one ruble. Puts the card and the watch back.

Gives the ruble to the salesgirl.

The salesgirl smiles.

- That's not enough.

Yarik goes out of the shop.

Boris in the cage is wiping off blood and recovering.

The sergeant on duty is sitting at his desk and watches with biting irony Boris, who is trying to do something with the torn collar of his jacket.

The sergeant on duty sees him, and reluctantly gets up from his chair, salutes the major.

The major looks around the room and, restraining his anger with difficulty, asks:

- I don't see the child. Where is he? Didn't you call about a waif?

- Where is the child?

- He escaped, - says the sergeant on duty through clenched teeth.

- What do you mean - "escaped?"

The sergeant on duty shrugs.

- We were pacifying this here client (he nods at Boris), and meanwhile the boy ran away.

- Imbeciles! And where can he be now? Go and fetch him! Look for him, and find him!

Boris, slightly surprised to see a major make so much ado because of an ordinary waif. The major, having pushed the sergeant, that happened to be in his way, goes out quickly.

The sergeant is surprised even more then Boris…

Yarik enters the hall and goes directly to the turnstiles. But right in front of the turnstile he halts. Casts a cautious glance at the thing that can jump out from inside the wall of the turnstile.

Then he notices that people, in order to go through, push a card into the slot in the turnstile.

For some time Yarik just watches the people go through, then he tries to go through following a woman closely, but he fails - the turnstile mechanism blocks his way. Yarik steps aside.

An elderly woman sitting in a glass booth - she is on the subway staff and her duty is to look after the order in the hall - watches Yarick attentively. The elderly woman picks up the microphone and speaks through the loudspeaker:

Yarik turns his head this way, that way.

- Yes, you! Come here!

Yarik sees the woman in the booth, notices, that she is wearing uniform that looks very much like police uniform. The woman waves her hand, urging the boy to come closer.

Yarik backs to the entrance. Runs out.

The elderly woman puts down the microphone and immediately forgets about Yarik.

The snowfall becomes heavier. Even earlier people were in a hurry to get home and sit down at the festively laid tables, now they are walking faster and faster.

Some people are already tipsy, and therefore do not hurry anywhere: a company of young people open a bottle of champagne, they laugh and drink from the bottle.

Yarik, standing on the roofed porch of some boutique, smilingly watches the merry company, and doesn't see that behind his back, behind the glass window, the manager of the boutique glances at him suspiciously and tells something to the security man. The security man nods and goes to the doors. Goes out on the porch.

Yarik looks at the security man warily.

The security man: You can't stand here.

Yarik (naively): Why?

The security man himself doesn't know, why it is forbidden to stand on the roofed porch of a boutique.

The security man: You can't, that's all.

Yarik: Do you by any chance know where this street is?

Yarik shows the security man Boris's card. The security man ignores the card and gently pushes Yarik off the porch, into the snowfall.

The security man: I don't know. Ask some passersby.

Yarik nods gratefully and rushes to the first passerby. The passerby looks at the card, shrugs his shoulders. With the second passerby it turns out the same. The third one recoils from the boy as if he is plague-stricken, and hastily checks whether his wallet is in place…

Camera moves away from the close-up of Yarik's face - the boy is vexed and desperate - and moves upward: shot from above: the crowd flows past the boy, bypassing him from both sides. The boy stands alone, by himself, holding a calling card in his hand… Yarik makes a step and disappears in the crowd.

Company of young people is still drinking champagne. They don't care about Yarik. They are too interested in themselves…

Lights are switched on in the windows. The curtains are being drawn.

Yarik enters the yard. Stops and enviously watches the lighted windows. He is very cold, is shaking, now and then he breathes on his frozen fingers and looks…

…at the windows, where yellow, blue and red lamps burn so nicely, so comfortingly.

…the father of a small boy gives the finishing touches to a snow-man, sticks in a carrot into the upper snow-ball, and calls his son; it's time to return home. Yarik cannot tear his eyes off that carrot.

- Gleb, it's time to go home!

- Enough is enough. Let's go. Mother's expecting us.

- Daddy! Just five more minutes!

Yarik impatiently waits for the father to take his son away.

The father picks up his capricious son, puts him on his shoulder, and runs to the nearby entrance door. The child stops complaining and starts laughing merrily. As soon as they disappear inside the entrance door…

…Yarik gets away from the wall, near which he was hiding, and runs to the snowman. Within several steps of the snowman the boy halts, looks around, scans the windows in search of possible danger or threat. He cautiously approaches the snowman, that stands spreading wide his arms made of sticks. Yarik tries to reach the carrot, but fails. Yarik looks around in search of some stick, but cannot see anything suitable. Then he presses his palms against the snowman, against its second snow-ball, and pushes, striving to bring it down. He pushes and pushes.

Yarik pants, groans and persists with his efforts. He gave up pressing against the snowman continuously, now he gives it one push after another, hoping to shake it loose. Suddenly the upper snowball jerks, and falls to the ground with a thump.

Yarik leans against the snowman, cooling his forehead and taking some rest, then he tiredly and heavily walks around the snowman and kneels in front of the broken upper snowball.

With frozen fingers he fishes out the carrot from among the pieces of packed snow, breathes on his fingers.

Yarik squats, right here, among the pieces of the ruined snowman. Takes the carrot from out of his pocket. Blows on it, brushes it with his fingers, rubs it against the sleeve of his jacket. Carefully examines it from all sides, and only then sinks his teeth in it, and manages to bite off a large piece. He munches. Swallows and bites off another piece. Munches again. Suddenly he winces and presses his palm to his cheek. Spits out the half munched piece of carrot, and examines the bits closely. But it's already dark and he can see nothing. Then Yarick spits on his palm. Gets up and goes to the circle of light cast from the street lamp.

He spreads the spittle over his palm with his finger, and sees blood.

Yarik wipes his palm against his jeans. Swings one arm and throws the carrot somewhere far away. Blows on his fingers, trying to warm them with his breath. He goes somewhere across the yard… goes out into the avenue, finds himself near a big department store.

The avenue shines with evening lights and festive illumination. In the shop-windows there are decorated Christmas trees. The luxurious shop-windows of food-stores.

Yarik sticks to the glass as if glued to it.

Salesmen cut sausages… and cheeses… Put candy into plastic bags, salads into plastic containers, pack it all and pass to buyers, who leave the store, pleased and satisfied.

Now Yarik watches the people going in and out of the store.

Suddenly somebody's hand in gray knitted glove lies down upon his shoulder. Yarik starts and looks around.

His surprise is enormous.

Over him looms a huge figure of a policeman, behind the policeman there are two others figures like him, in gray pea-jackets.

- What are you doing here? Are you lost?

Yarik's eyes are shifty, he thinks feverishly, and then declares without batting an eyelid:

- No. I am looking after my mother, so that she wouldn't get lost.

The policeman hems, and goes away. The two figures follow him.

Yarik watches them with wary eye, then approaches the doors of the store.

Yarik sees a well-dressed young woman approach the doors of the store. The woman is merrily chatting with somebody over the mobile phone.

Yarik purposefully goes to the woman, halts for a moment, letting her enter the doors first, and bravely enters the store after her.

When passing the security man, Yarik takes the woman by the hand. The woman gasps and looks down at Yarik dumbfounded. Yarik, frightened by the woman's reaction, casts a glance at the security man. But the security man is looking the other way. Yarik lets go of the woman's hand, and goes into a corner.

There is a hot radiator in the store! Yarik warms his frozen hands.

The woman glances at him from time to time, but, seeing that the boy is not trying to steal anything, calms down. She goes to a counter. Joins the queue, but now and then still looks at…

…Yarik, who now and then looks at her too, but, having met her eyes, turns away and hides his eyes.

The woman stops smiling. Now she watches Yarik closely. She says something to the man in front of her, the man nods, and she goes to Yarik.

Yarik, who has been distracted by watching the process of cookies being weighed, has quite forgotten about the woman.

And she is standing right in front of him, looking at the boy sadly. Suddenly the woman bends over him, and gently takes his little hands into hers.

Yarik starts; he is ready to run away. But the charming smile of the woman makes him stay. Besides, the woman is holding him by the hands.

Yarik nods bashfully.

- What would you like to eat?

Now the woman nods. She lets go of Yarik's hands, but the boy chooses this moment to show her the business card.

- Do you happen to know, where this street is? I have to get there, it's urgent.

The woman reads the address on the business card, and nods.

- I'll take you there. Just let me buy those cookies. Stay here and wait for me.

The woman drives into the yard of an old house in the vicinity of Tverskaya street, stops, setting the parking brake. Looks over her shoulder.

Yarik is sitting on the backseat. He is quite worn out, and sleepy. In his hands there is a package of cookies and a liter bottle of coca-cola.

The woman: Here we are. That's your house.

The woman: You are welcome. Run along. And don't get lost again.

Yarik gets out of the car, drops the cookies. Picks it up. Smiles at the woman apologetically.

She smiles back, cheering him up. Waves a hand at him, and drives away.

Yarik is alone in the yard of an old mansion.

The snow falls on. It's dark. It's cheerless here, and cold.

Yarik makes his way up to the entrance door and pulls it - it's locked. All that he can do now - to stand here under the door and look at the lighted windows yearningly…

…Yarik is nearly frozen. Again and again he pushes with wooden fingers the buttons of the code lock. But the lock wouldn't open the door for him. The door stays impregnable. Suddenly the sound of the buzzer is heard, and the door opens. A fellow with a little dog goes out.

Yarik jumps away just in time.

The little dog with high, unpleasant voice, barks at Yarik. The man looks at the boy with displeasure, and goes past him.

Yarik manages to put his foot between the door and the doorframe. He shoots a glance to the man moving away, and quickly darts inside.

Yarik runs up to the elevator doors, and pushes the button. But he doesn't wait for the cabin to arrive, and rushes up the stairs to the third floor. He looks at the numbers of the apartments.

Yarik stops at one door. Listens. Knocks. Takes out Boris's gold watch from his pocket. Yarik smiles, anticipating the warm welcome: now the door will open, he will be gladly asked in, praised for having brought the precious watch! Nobody answers the door.

Yarik is shaking all over. He knocks at the door again. Listens. He is vexed. And offended - he has suffered so many hardships while getting here, and now nobody answers the door… Yarik kicks the door, and goes downstairs.

Yarik dives under the staircase where there is a radiator. He reaches for the radiator of central heating with his hands - dropping the package of cookies and the bottle while doing so, but Yarik stays unconcerned. He clings to the radiator with all his body. He is shaking violently, his nose in the warmth starts running. Yarik sniffs non-stop, and besides he has a cough now, bad, heart-rending cough. After he has got a little warmer, he picks up the bottle with cola.

Cola in the bottle had frozen: pieces of ice float in the liquid.

Yarik puts the bottle on the radiator, and himself leans against the radiator, now with his chest, now with his behind. He enlivens a bit, the shivers cease. Yarik admires the watch, even tries it on. He likes that watch a lot. But suddenly piercing barks of the little dog are heard behind the entrance door. Yarik immediately takes the watch off his hand - in his eyes there is fear, and apology, as if he is sorry he has put on something that doesn't belong to him.

The door is about to open. Without delay Yarik darts under the staircase, where he finds…

…a little stray kitten. The kitten hisses and arches his back. Yarik puts a finger to his lips.

The kitten stops hissing, only growls with displeasure.

The entrance door opens and in runs the little dog, barking loudly, followed by its master. The little dog pulls the leash, scratches the cement floor with its claws, barks hysterically at the staircase under which Yarik is hiding.

Yarik is paralyzed with fear. The kitten hisses back at the dog. Yarik grabs the kitten. Hides it under his jacket. A fit of coughing is upon him. He covers his mouth with his palm. He manages to force down the fit of cough. Tears run down his cheeks.

The man jerks the little dog to himself. The dog chokes on her bark, coughs. The man, ignoring it, pulls the struggling dog into the elevator.

Yarik coughs, unable to restrain it any more.

The elevator goes up.

For some time Yarik sits perfectly still under the staircase, his eyes are widened with fear… he lets the kitten go, guardedly gets from under the staircase, returns to the radiator. He squats, leaning his back against the radiator, hides the watch back into his pocket, having given it one last admiring look. Then he gets down to his meal. He opens the package of cookies, and puts the cookies one after another into his mouth. Munches and hems with satisfaction.

From under the staircase appears the kitten. The kitten sniffs, mews plaintively.

Yarik calls the kitten, shows it a cookie. The kitten approaches timidly. Yarik throws the cookie to it. Now they munch together.

Having satisfied his hunger with cookies, Yarik takes the cola bottle. But however hard he tries, he cannot unscrew the cap. Now in addition to the running nose and cough a new disaster is upon him. Yarik starts hiccupping violently.

The kitten tries to crawl under the stairs again, but Yarik catches it and puts it in his bosom. The kitten starts purring immediately. Closes his little eyes.

Yarik's eyes also close, his head falls on his breast, and Yarik falls asleep, still hiccupping. Asleep, he lurches, falls on the floor and wakes up with a cry. Looks around himself with sleepy eyes, trying to understand where he is. Sits down on the cement floor, puts his head on his knees. He sits like this for some time, but then a strong fit of cough makes him wake up. Yarik notices that there is a strong draught, it's coming from under the entrance door, even some snowflakes get in.

Yarik shivers with cold, gets up. He takes the package with cookies, which is nearly empty, the bottle of cola, and gets out from under the staircase.

The kitten is somewhere in the vicinity of his armpit now.

Yarik fearfully peaks out, scans the stairs, listens carefully. All is quiet. Cautiously Yarik starts climbing up the stairs. He climbs past the first floor, the second, the third. All the time he is trying to silence his cough, by means of putting his dirty and sticky fist to his mouth, but it doesn't help much. Yarik stops at the landing of the third floor and listens.

He can hear voices from behind doors, the noise of the TV sets turned on, behind one door the music is playing, but behind the door so important for him - not a sound is heard. Yarik once again checks the number of flat. Yes, it's the same figure that is printed on the business card.

Yarik approaches that door and puts his ear to it. There is silence behind that door. Yarik puts the bottle of cola on the floor, the package with cookies near it, and sits down on the welcome mat. Having sat like this for several seconds Yarik calms down and lies on his side, curls up and closes his eyes. Suddenly, remembering something, he starts, looks around, searching for something. Sees the package with cookies and hides it in his bosom. The crackling sound the package produces frightens the kitten, that shows from under his jacket - a funny frightened little muzzle.

Yarik to the kitten:

Yarik: Are you afraid? Don't be afraid. I'll sing you a lullaby.

Yarik sings the lullaby that his mother sang to him in the beginning of the film, in other words, the leitmotif of this film.

The kitten dives back into Yarik's bosom. Yarik calms down and falls asleep.

Boris, slightly drunk, looms over sleeping Yarik.

The kitten, that is sitting near Yarik's head, stares at Boris without any intention of running away.

Boris is swaying slightly. He takes a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his pocket, lights a cigarette. In his other hand he has the keys to the apartment he cannot get in because of the sleeping child. Boris draws on his cigarette for the last time and throws it away. Squats near Yarik, strokes the kitten, then takes the bottle of cola. Opens the bottle. Gas rushes out of the bottle with hissing sound and…

…Yarik starts and wakes up. His wary, frightened eyes are not sleepy at all. He is looking at…

…the man drinking his cola. Boris takes the bottle off his mouth and asks somewhat ironically:

Yarik recognizes Boris, smiles warmly, sits up, rubs his eyes and shakes his head.

- No. You are welcome.

Takes the kitten on his lap, strokes it, and after a pause adds:

- But leave some for us.

Boris hems and nods. He gulps cola away. Yarik watches him enviously. Boris belches loudly and gives the bottle to Yarik. Yarik wipes the neck of the bottle with his hand.

Boris watches the boy with laughing eyes and nods approvingly.

Yarik raises the bottle to his lips.

Boris is still squatting in front of Yarik, now he is watching the boy drink cola.

Yarik also belches noisily.

Yarik reaches down into his bosom. Takes out the package with cookies and offers it to Boris.

- Would you like some?

Boris winces and shakes his head.

They look at each other.

Boris nods at the kitten.

Boris: What's his name?

Yarik: Kitten's name?

Boris gets up. Yarik, worried, gets up too. Boris moves Yarik a little aside.

- Will you allow me?

Boris nods at the door and jingles his keys. Yarik steps away from the door.

Boris opens the door and goes inside.

Boris, already in the hall, turns back and asks Yarik:

- Would you like some hot tea?

- Have you any jam? - Yarik smiles.

Boris smiles too and nods.

- Will raspberry jam do?

Yarik, putting the kitten from one hand to another:

Yarik: Can I bring Murzik with me?

Boris: Yes, you can. Do come in.

Yarik goes from the landing into Boris's apartment. Pulls off his soiled jacket. And suddenly remembers!!! He reaches into his pocket, hands out to Boris his own watch.

- Well, really! You haven't lost it! - Boris is surprised. - Thank you. It's a gift from my wife. Imagine, what she would have done with us, had we lost it?

Boris takes the watch. Puts it on his hand. Yarik can't tear envious eyes from the watch on Boris's hand. He forces himself to look away, shrugs his shoulders, as if saying: "I wouldn't know".

Yarik looks around the sitting-room. The first thing he sees is a magnificent, splendid Christmas tree, and he looks at it for a long time with genuine admiration.

Sounds come from the kitchen, where Boris is pottering about: the kettle is whistling, the cups and spoons are clattering…

Yarik is looking at a photograph on the shelf: in the photograph there are Boris, his wife and his daughter, a girl about three years old. Yarik looks attentively at the faces of the girl and her mother. Takes a really good look at the face of the mother. Then looks at the girl with some envy. He backs away, sits down on the sofa. Exclaims "Oh!' and from under his bottom extracts a hair brush; there are some long hair in the hair brush, Yarik wrinkles his nose with disgust and throws the brush on the chair.

Boris enters the room, carrying a tray. On the tray there are small jam dishes full of jam and the teapot.

Yarik smiles at him.

Boris lays the table - they drink tea. Boris notices a mobile phone that is being charged. Exclaims happily:

- I thought I've lost it! And it was left at home!

Boris pushes the buttons.

- My wife… she has called six times. - He gives Yarik a glance full of meaning. Pushes the "call" button. - The line is busy. - He tries again, several times. The line is still busy. He leaves the phone alone and looks at Yarik, who is eating the jam heartily. The kitten is sitting on Yarik's lap and purring.

The kitten is sitting on the closed lavatory seat and watches…

…sparkling soap bubbles.

Yarik enjoys soaking in the bath, he plays with bubbles, blows at them, sends a pink rubber duckling floating all along the bathtub. Holds his nose with his fingers, and submerges under the water, makes some bubbles, comes up, rubs his eyes and sees…

…smiling Boris. Boris is holding a pink child-size dressing-robe.

- But that's a girl's robe! - protests Yarik.

- I put your clothes into the washing machine. Wear this for a while.

Yarik nods submissively.

Boris hangs the robe on the hook and leaves the bathroom. Yarik looks at the robe with distaste.

The TV set is on, but the sound is off. It's the news. Some festive, New Year's Eve kind of piece of reporting. The excited reporter is bubbling away about something, behind his back there is an enormous Christmas tree, and fireworks. Yarik is wearing the robe. He looks at the Christmas tree on the TV screen, then glances at the Christmas tree in the room. And suddenly notices that there is a smartly wrapped package hidden under the tree. Yarik stares at the package with great amazement, then rushes to it, unpacks it and takes out from it very pretty things for a girl: a cap, kid gloves and a scarf - all pink, just like the robe he is wearing.

Boris enters the room and smiles, seeing Yarik's disappointment. The boy throws the things back into the package and puts it back under the Christmas tree.

Yarik: I thought it was brought by Santa Claus, for me.

Boris: Santa couldn't know you will be celebrating the coming of the New Year here.

Yarik: How would he find me now?!

Boris: I don't know… all the shops are already closed anyway. (Yarik raises his eyebrows in disbelief.) And where do you think Santa gets the presents? He takes them in shops, and afterwards delivers to kids. To cut a long story short, you've missed your present this year. But don't be upset, next year you are sure to get two.

Yarik eyes Boris grimly, then comes up the window.

It's dark and the snow is falling behind the window.

- I must get to the railway station, - says Yarik.

- Can't be done. Tomorrow I'll drive you there. Today is the New Year eve - there are only drunks and cops in the streets, and some drunk cops too.

Yarik looks at Boris in great amazement. Then, having regained his wits, starts staring in the window. Quite in earnest he shouts into the dark window:

- Santa Claus, I am here!

But instead of a shout a hoarse croak comes out of his throat.

- Oh, you do need some medication! Now, have something to eat, because it is bad to take pills on empty stomach. (Yarik winces.) I have some super-medicine, you'll drink it and get well at once. You do want to get to the railway station tomorrow, don't you? (Yarik nods.) Well, then get to the table! The New Year is coming, and we are wasting time…

Boris, nodding his head, invites Yarik to the table. He himself takes a seat across the table, gets the TV remote control, pushes a button. The President's New Year's Greetings. They listen to it. The clock on the Kremlin's tower strikes twelve. Boris takes a bottle of fizz drink for kids, opens it. "Bang" goes the cork out of the bottle. He pours the soft drink into glasses. They laugh.

Yarik grabs his glass. They clink glasses.

The kitten climbs onto Yarik's lap and, having smelled sausage, starts mewing heart-rending. It sounds as if the kitten is shouting "hurrah!" too. They laugh even louder.

- Happy New Year! - answers Yarik and coughs.

The kitten steals a piece of sausage from Yarik's plate, jumps down to the floor. The kitten is eating sausage and purring loudly.

Boris and Yarik are laughing merrily.

Boris hears the phone ring, answers it. Starts speaking into the phone with great irritation:

- Today?! Are you out of your mind… OK. I'll be there. Is everything ready? Where?! Are you out of your mind! Only on the neutral territory. What do you mean - it's his condition? OK. What is the address. I am writing it down. (Writes something down on a piece of paper, hides the piece in his pocket.) I'll be there.

Boris throws the phone down angrily. Lights a cigarette.

Boris is sitting on the edge of the bed, holding a spoon full of medicine and a glass of fruit juice. He nods to Yarik, and the boy obediently opens his mouth. Boris puts the spoon with the medicine into his mouth.

Yarik wrinkles his nose, but swallows the medicine.

Boris offers him the glass of juice.

Yarik washes down the medicine with the juice and… groans, winces, presses his palm to his cheek.

- What is it? - Boris is surprised. - Your tooth?

- Well, old chap, you are indeed falling to pieces. Let's drive to the doctor's.

- No doctors. It will go away soon.

As if in order to confirm his words, Yarik takes his hand away from his cheek and smiles. Boris eyes him with distrust.

- OK. That's what we are going to do. Now you will have a good sleep, then we will cure your cold, and only afterwards we will tackle your teeth. OK?

On the chair in front of the radiator Yarik's clothes are hung to dry. Boris touches Yarik's jeans.

Yarik leans on the pillow. Boris leans over him, touches his forehead. Yarik sees the watch. Touches it with his little finger.

- Let it be the present for me. And you will get from Santa another watch, even better. The next year.

- I can't give the watch to you. It's a present from my wife…

- Yes, you cannot give as a gift a thing if it was given as a gift to you.

Boris nods, and puts away his hand with the watch, gets up, draws the curtains, and quietly leaves the room, closing the door behind him.

Yarik looks around the room. There are dolls and plush toy animals everywhere. Yarik sighs, preoccupied with some not very cheerful thoughts of his own, closes his eyes…

Music - heart beat - snow.

The mobile phone rings. Boris, who is sleeping on the sofa, jumps up, rushes to the coffee table, bends over the mobile phone, curses under his breath. Suddenly he starts - the door-bell rings. Boris goes to answer the door, switching the mobile phone off on his way.

Yarik opens his eyes and sees…

…a girl about three years old. The girl looks at Yarik sternly. Yarik is embarrassed, he looks aside.

- This is my bed, - the girl cannot pronounce the sound "r" properly.

Yarik sulkily gets up from the bed and starts putting his clothes on. Behind the door an indignant female voice is heard, and Boris muttering something. The girl turns and shouts:

- Mommy! He is awake!

The voices stop. The sound of approaching steps is heard. A young woman enters the room. Boris follows her. Boris is obviously upset and embarrassed. The woman looks upset too: she is vexed with her husband, and feels guilty because she has already made decision to get rid of Yarik.

- How do you do, - mumbles Yarik. Nobody answers him.

It is dark behind the window, but the light of a lonely street lamp-post gets into the room.

Suddenly the woman turns away abruptly. Yarik has noticed that the woman is crying. She hastily strides out of the room, nearly knocking Boris off while doing so. Boris hesitatingly shifts from one foot to the other, then goes out after the woman, closes the door behind him.

- Who are you? - asks the girl.

- I'm Yarik, - answers the boy softly.

- And my name is Malina, - says the girl.

- Marina? - the girl nods assent. - Then say it: Ma-ri-na, - Yarik pronounces it syllable by syllable.

- Ma-li-na, - repeats the girl after him.

The woman's voice is heard: "Marina, come here this minute, do you hear me?"

The girl runs away, neglecting to close the door behind her. The voices of the couple arguing can be heard.

- Do you ever think what you are doing? How could you?

- Stop it. Nothing really horrible happened.

- You don't see your own daughter for weeks, and now you brought in a…

- How do you mean - "stop it"? You started picking up beggars from the street! Are you out of your mind? What is the matter with your face?

- I met that freak in the subway - was looking for him for three years, and couldn't find him. And now I am meeting him just like that! Must be a Christmas present, damn it. Well, we had a talk.

- You had a talk. So what? What have you achieved by it? He is a scum as he used to be… have you reformed him or what? Has he apologized before you, before me? Why don't you say something?

- No. I didn't have time enough. The cops got me. And Yarik…

They start talking in whisper - so one cannot discern the words, but Yarik understands that they are arguing about him. Clear childish voice is heard:

- Go to my room, - answers the woman.

The woman, Boris and the girl are standing in the corridor. Boris is smoking.

- Mum! I want to play with Yalik… - the girl pesters her mother.

- Do as you are told! And you, stop smoking in the presence of the child! - Boris fusses, nods his head apologetically, puts out his cigarette.

Whisper again. Suddenly a phrase reaches Yarik's ears: "Suppose he has scab, or some catching decease. You are thirty years old, and still…" The woman's voice breaks.

- Why do you always imagine things? I have already told you: he is not a beggar, he was lost.

The girl enters the room. She is wary, even frightened.

- Do you have scabs? - she asks.

- No, - answers Yarik. The girl brightens, grows bolder at once.

- So you are healthy?

- I have sore throat, and my tooth aches, sometimes.

From under the bed the kitten crawls out. The girl says "oh!" and grabs it. She strokes the kitten tenderly, and whispers:

The kitten mews pitifully.

- Is it your kitten?

The door opens and Boris appears on the threshold. (He hangs his head, rubs an eye and says, addressing Yarik):

- It's time for us to go.

Boris goes away. Yarik pulls on his cap.

- When will you come back? - asks the girl.

Yarik shrugs his shoulders.

- Leave the kitten with us.

- Will you mother permit it? - Yarik is doubtful.

- She will, - answers the girl confidently.

- Only don't throw him out, OK? - pleads Yarik.

- I won't! - The girl shakes her head violently.

Yarik hands the kitten to the girl. Then rushes to the hall, pulls on his jacket and boots, and, saying: "I go to look for my mommy and daddy!" rushes out of the apartment.

Boris grabs his jacket from the hook, rushes out after Yarik. His wife looks at him reproachfully.

Boris: Am I supposed to throw him out just like that?

Boris gives his wife a nasty look, and runs down the stairs.

The woman stands in the corridor, pressing her palm to her mouth, afraid she might start sobbing in front of her daughter. The girl clings to her. The girl is holding the kitten in her hands… The woman hugs her daughter, holds her tightly.

Boris and Yarik are sitting in the car. Boris is thoughtful, he is smoking, blowing the smoke out through a partly opened window. He is greatly upset. Yarik is watching Boris.

Boris says, without turning around:

Boris: Everything will turn out OK. She will calm down, and we…

Boris hears a jeep door open behind his back. He turns around. Yarik jumps out of the car. Slams the door closed. Boris is dumb-founded.

Boris curses, slowly drives along the edge of the road, catches up with Yarik, who is walking briskly along the avenue. Boris opens the window and shouts to the boy angrily:

Boris: Yarik, get into the car!

Yarik continues walking along the avenue. He looks at Boris, shakes his head.

Yarik: Go home! I won't return to your place. I have to go to the railway station. Mother must have already found daddy, and they are waiting for me there at the railway station, and I am wasting time here… I know, they are there, they are sitting right opposite the Christmas tree.

Boris: OK, I'll take you to the railway station. (he grumbles under his breath) And shall stay there myself. (he shouts again, since Yarik continues walking) Do get in! Do as you are told!

Yarik stops. The jeep stops too. Yarik looks at Boris searchingly, then gets into the car.

They are riding in the jeep. It's warm and cozy in the jeep. Off screen radio is playing retro-music. DJ congratulates everybody with the coming New Year, expanding on the new happiness sure to come, etc.

DJ: And once again I want to congratulate our listeners with two great holidays to come: the New Year and Christmas! I, just like you, would like to believe that the coming year has only joy and happiness in store for us, that I personally have been disastrously short of all the past year long. I am entering the new year with debts for my new apartment, with car broken and health somewhat cracked. I hope that you are doing better, and now some music.

A tune by the "Avaria" ("Accident") group is played, "The New Year is Rushing on Us."

Boris stares mindlessly at the radio; Yarik is staring at nothing (he nods his head to the music). Boris casts a glance at Yarik, smiles quietly. The mobile phone rings. Boris answers the call.

- Yes. To Kazan Railway station. I have to. I'll make it. I tell you, I'll make it. OK!!!

The last word Boris literally yells out. Yarik starts. Boris looks at him guiltily:

- Sorry, I didn't mean to… listen, the thing is that I have to get to one place, now, on business. We'll go to the railway station in the morning, as we agreed before, OK? It's just that I can't be in two places at once.

Yarik doesn't say anything, doesn't respond at all.

Boris makes the decision himself: he makes a U-turn and goes at full speed in the opposite direction.

Gateway to an elite summer cottage compound. An expensive car in front of the bar. Boris's jeep pulls up behind it.

Immediately two men of about the same age as Boris jump out of the foreign-made car. They barely restrain their anger.

Boris climbs out of the jeep and approaches the men. They shake hands.

One of the men: How about a game of cards on New Year's eve? Playing cards materialize in his hands. He tosses them expertly from hand to hand.

Yarik climbs out of the jeep. The men's jaws drop. They look at Boris in amazement.

"Hey, what's have we here? We used to think you had a daughter," one of them says.

"Or is it by another gal?" the other man says teasingly.

"None of your business," Boris cuts them off.

Yarik approaches them and holds out his hand. He shakes the men's hands clumsily.

A room for playing cards. The only piece of furniture is a huge round table covered with green baize. Four people sit at the table. Boris's two friends, Boris and facing him an imposing-looking middle-aged Gentleman.

Each player has a glass with brandy in front of him.

The Gentleman has a bottle of brandy.

The Gentleman takes a pack of cards from a safe box near the table and throws it to Boris across the table.

Boris takes out the cards and runs his fingers over each of them to see if they are marked. Then turns the pack and shuffles it in his hand to make sure all the cards are in place and checks that all the suits are there… This completed, he nods and asks the Gentleman:

Boris: What's it to be?

Gentleman: Seka? Does that suits everyone?

The Gentleman is a bit nervous and watches his guests' every move.

Boris divides the deck into four parts and deals the cards. They turn up the cards and determine the banker. It's the Gentleman. He has an ace. He is banking. He is pleased. The players make their stakes and the game begins. From time to time the players drop short phrases: "Over, dark, showdown, pass".

Boris notes that the Gentleman is cheating when shuffling and dealing cards. Boris fixes the Gentleman with his eyes. When the Gentleman deals he always gets aces.

The Gentleman lights cigarette…

Yarik stands at the window of the playing room and looks out into the courtyard where a Christmas tree stands… Yarik casts a weary look at the players and goes out the door.

Sound bite: a lullaby tune, throbbing heart, snow.

Yarik steps out into the next room where two goons are sitting. They cast a sideways look at Yarik. They are glum and silent. Yarik walks gingerly past them and sits in a vacant armchair. For a while, the three of them are silent, sizing each other up.

One of the goons decides to play a joke on Yarik. He produces a handgun from a halter.

Yarik nods at the handgun.

The goons exchange looks and suddenly burst out laughing. Yarik joins them.

The goon likes the boy's naivety and the fact that he is not frightened of the huge gun.

Yarik: I don't know. Never tried it before…

The goon lifts himself heavily out of the armchair and walks to the bar. The goon opens three bottles of beer and passes one to Yarik.

Yarik takes a cautious sip.

Yarik: it's bitter (he grimaces).

The goons laugh. Defiantly, Yarik takes a big gulp.

Goon: Ouch! Like an adult.

Yarik is pleased. His head begins to swim. He smiles. All the three simultaneously take a swig from their bottles.

Some time elapses…

Yarik sits on a billiard table. He is tipsy, he laughs and rubs his nose with a chalk. The tip of his nose becomes green.

The goons laugh. Yarik is happy that they are laughing at his tricks. Yarik chalks the tip of his finger and puts some chalk on his eyelids. Now, when he blinks, the goons see green eyelids and laugh even louder. Yarik chalks his teeth. He bares his teeth and makes faces.

The goons are in stitches. They are groaning for laughter. Yarik chalks his ears and moves them. One of the goons drops to his knees, his breathing turns to wheezing. He is choking with laughter and groaning.

Yarik reaches for the beer bottle, takes a swig. Hiccups. He is drunk… Suddenly he yawns, his head droops, he tries to brace himself and get off the table, only to fall down.

Another fit of laughter.

Yarik gets to his feet and staggers toward the sofa.

"I bet you fifty greenbacks, he won't make it."

The goons make a bet and watch Yarik. He reaches the sofa and drops flat on it. The loser sighs and pays the winner fifty dollars. The winner looks at Yarik. He gets up, walks toward him and stuffs the money in Yarik's pocket. He looks challengingly at his mate as if to say, no tricks. The latter nods respectfully.

Gentleman: Showdown.

Boris and his friends exchange glances. Boris puts an absolutely winning hand on the table.

The host looks at it in surprise, then takes a long time studying his cards and thinks. He makes his decision and proceeds to puts his cards face up one after another. They are the same as Boris's .

Everybody sits still. A heavy silence settles over the room. The tension reaches its climax: vacuous strees, tense poses. A vein throbs on one man's temple and at that moment the Gentleman reaches for his glass and the glass is shattered into tiny pieces. Those present give a start, they are stunned.

Boris and friends sense something fishy. The host pierces Boris with his look. Contrary to expectations, he bursts into a wild fit of laughter. Boris and friends join his merry laughter.

New Year joke. "I knew it was coming…" He laughs.

"No problem. It was kind of fun… When did you notice?" Boris says as if to justify himself.

"When you dealt the second time…" They continue laughing. The host soon stops laughing and the others stop too. Then the host says:

"Now listen. Everybody gets his money back. Start again. If I note anyone cheating, he is history."

Boris nods understandingly.

Gentleman: Let's change the cards.

Boris's friend: Let's.

Boris shrugs: as you wish. The Gentleman opens the safe box and throws a new pack of cards on the table. The old pack goes into the waste basket.

Yarik wakes up. He sits up. His head reels. He screws up his face. He feels queasy. Yarik holds a hand to his mouth and runs to the toilet. He has no time to shut the door and rushes toward the can. He vomits and vomits… The guards are sound asleep.

Yarik shuffles along the hallway and peeps into the playing room. The game is in full swing. Boris turns and nods to Yarik.

Yarik: Are we going to the train station?

Boris: A little later.

Yarik shuts the door, goes back to the guards' room and plops down on the sofa. The guards are still asleep. One of them snores sickeningly.

Yarik gets up, walks to the table and drinks almost a whole bottle of mineral water at a gulp, he approaches the guard meaning to wake him up, stares for a long time at his mug, fearsome even in his sleep, but hasn't the heart. He sees a piano and decides something to himself. He burps and sits at the piano. He plays a piece, a little bit off tune. (Maxim knows and can play it right). He looks at the guard out of the corner of his eye. The guard opens his eyes and lifts his head looking at Yarik quizzically.

Yarik: I am leaving. I have to get to the station. Can you tell Boris?

The guard nods and his head drops on the back of the armchair. He resumes snoring. Yarik gets up and shuts the piano top quietly.

Yarik runs along the hallway. He runs down the stairs. Stops in front of the Christmas tree looking at the toys. A glance at the window. His hands get cold. Yarik thrusts his hand in his pocket and when he takes it out his fist is clenched. Yarik unclenches his fist: a fifty-dollar bill sits on his palm. Yarik takes one last look at the house and walks out of the gate.

Yarik tries to hitch a ride. A car stops. Its door opens. A swarthy face of a man from the Caucasus looks at Yarik with surprise.

The man: What are you doing here all alone?

Yarik: Can you me drive me to Kazan station?

The man hesitates. It's too far.

Yarik produces 50 dollars and offers them to the man. He invites Yarik with a nod to get in: a real man.

Yarik climbs into the car and the car drives off.

The players are at the table: they look tired and red-eyed from tension and a sleepless night. Everybody stares at his cards, except the Gentleman who looks over his cards at the players and at Boris.

Boris lifts his gaze and his eyes meet with the Gentleman's eyes. They stare at each other for a second, Boris calmly, the Gentleman nervously. Suddenly a look of annoyance and disappointment appears on his face. He hurls his cards on the table. Everybody looks at him in surprise. The Gentleman, staring at Boris, hisses angrily at them: "Get out of here!"

Boris carefully puts the cards on the table face down and grabs his winnings: several stacks of dollars and a few loose banknotes. He stuffs the money in his pockets and walks silently out of the room. His friends follow him.

The Gentleman remains alone. He drops his head to the table and shuts his eyes… He yawns…

Boris enters the room. The guards are asleep. Under his fixed gaze one of the guards opens his eyes, shuts his mouth, wipes off the saliva and looks at Boris questioningly.

Boris: Where is Yarik?

Boris: When did he leave?

Goon: Early morning. Said he had to go to the station… I think he said Kazan station. Are you through?

Boris nods pensively and walks out of the room. He walks through the house and emerges into the courtyard. He stops, spotting Yarik's footsteps near the Christmas tree. He frowns and walks out of the gate.

His friends are beside his jeep, shifting from foot to foot. Boris gets behind the wheel and starts the engine. His friends climb into his car. Boris looks at them in surprise.

First friend: Let's drive off some distance.

Boris: I'm in a hurry.

Second friend: No hurry. Money comes first.

Boris looks angrily at his comrades. Their faces and grim and determined. He gives in and puts the car into gear…

CUT IN: The jeep is crawling away from the Gentleman's house down the alley.

Boris counts out the money and distributes it, puts his own share in his pocket.

Boris: That's all. Get lost. I have to go.

First friend: Where to?

Second friend: What's this little angel to you? Why are you fussing around him?

First friend: Take it easy, the kid is none of your business. You know how many kids like Yarik we have? The government should take care of them.

Third friend: U-huh, on our tax money.

First friend: You alone can't do nothin' about it. Our government is a mafia, a mafia wants to have an army of homeless kids: cheap labour, drugs, prostitution, they even sell homeless kids for human organs, and they are kids from government institutions.

Boris: You telling me? You got your sahre? You got the dough? Who is talking about taxes? Do you pay taxes? What mafia? Get out! (after a pause, angrily). I hate your guts.

One of the friends: It's not us you hate, you hate yourself. You are clutching at this kid like a drowning man at a straw. Maybe you are right, maybe he's your salvation. Only, save you from what and from whom? OK, let's go, guys.

Boris's friends leave his car. They walk towards their own car. Boris sits motionless staring in front of him as if reliving the conversation, then turns the ignition key, and revs u the engine.

Boris throws the car in gear and burns rubber. He drives away at top speed.

As he drives, Boris grabs the cards and throws them out of the window, strewing the road.

Yarik walks into the waiting room, runs between the aisles to the place near the Christmas tree where he was sitting with his mom waiting for dad. He runs, craning his neck, looking this way and that way hoping to see his mother. He is very excited, his eyes shine in anticipation of a happy reunion.

Suddenly he stops dead in his tracks and his face grows sad. Mother is gone and her chair is occupied by an elderly man. Yarik walks up to him, looking dejected. He stops in front of the man and glares at him.

"Really? I've been sitting here a long time and you weren't here."

"I was gone to the toilet."

Although there are plenty of vacant seats, the man yields his seat to Yarik and moves a couple of seats down the aisle.

Yarik climbs into the seat, sulking, folds his arms and calms down. His chin drops to his chest and he stares in front of him, frowning. One can tell from his look that he is determined to stay put until his mother is back.

Yarik is asleep, his head tilted sideways, his mouth half open, his hat askew.

Boarding time is announced, the man gets up, picks up his suitcase and leaves. Yarik is alone in the aisle of chairs. He shifts in his sleep and the hat falls on the floor.

A tramp walks down the aisle, scavenging the trash cans for remnants of food and aluminum cans which he puts in his bag. He chews at the food. As he passes Yarik he sees the hat and reaches for it. Yarik opens his eyes just in time. He jumps off the chair, snatches his hat and stamps his foot at the tramp. The latter walks away.

Yarik climbs back in his chair. Now he can relax: he rubs his eyes, yawns, smoothes his hair and sits still. Suddenly Yarik sees a cop approaching him down the aisle from the left-hand side. The cop comes up to Yarik calmly.

OK, Robinson, let's go.

Yarik clenches his teeth and shakes his head. His fingers grip the arms of the chair.

"I can't. I am waiting for my mum."

"She went to buy some food. And disappeared."

The cop gets worried.

"Wait a bit. What did she wear?"

Yarik looks at the cop hopefully.

"What did she wear? A red coat, white boots. Tall boots, high heels."

"Is your mother's first name Yelena?" Samokhin asks, "And her last name is Pylnova?"

"Do you know my mother?"

"Yes. Come with me."

Yarik jumps off the chair, the cop takes his hand and leads him away. Yarik looks up at the cop and complains to him:

"I had my bag stolen from me. And they would have stolen my hat too."

"It happens," the cop says casually.

The cop has nothing to say. Yarik's head droops and he tags along with the cop.

Yarik sits on a chair facing a cop he does not know. The cop is shuffling papers in the safe box. He finds the file he needs and puts it on the table. He gives Yaarik a weird look as if hesitating to speak. Then he opens the file and produces photographs from it. He looks at them himself, then shifts his gaze to Yarik before handing him the photograph.

"Look. This your mother?"

Yarik takes the photo, looks at it for a long time and his eyes fill with tears.

It is a close-up photo of his mother: glazed eyes, half-open mouth: it suddenly dawns on Yarik that his mother is dead. Another picture shows a happy Yarik with Mum and Dad. Yarik starts to whimper and soon dissolves in sobbing.

The officer frowns and turns away. He reaches across the table for the photos, but Yarik slaps him on the hand and presses the photos against his chest. The officer retreats. He is at a loss what to do. He lights a cigarette nervously. He leans sideways and shouts through the door.

Yarik is startled by the yelling and his sobs grow louder. The officer grows even more nervous. He is annoyed. Samokhin appears in the office.

"Samokhin, how are things with the orphanage?"

Samokhin spreads his arms.

"I can't get through to them. Line is busy. Maybe they're surfing the Internet."

Yarik is huddled in a corner. He has his face to the wall and is crying, pressing the photos against his chest. His shoulders shake.

"Can I go?" Samokhin asks.

"No. Take care of him."

"What do you mean take care? What shall I do with him?"

Samokhin carries a whimpering Yarik along the corridor under his arm and looks into a cell. An elderly Armenian is sitting there. Samokhin puts Yarik down so he can stand on his feet.

Yarik stands quietly and meekly, pressing the photo against his chest.

Yarik enters the cell obediently.

The lock clicks and Yarik is in the cell.

The Armenian lifts his head and gives Yarik a kindly smile.

Yarik glares back at him.

The Armenian motions him to lie down on the cot. Yarik sits down on the cot. Then lies down. He turns his face to the wall and weeps silently looking at his mother's photograph.

The Armenian notices the photograph, takes it carefully and looks at it. He gives it back to the kid. The latter hides it under his shirt.

Yarik: She died, and Dad never came to collect me to the station. I am alone in the whole world. I have no one left.

The Armenian looks at the kid with anguish and compassion. Not knowing what to do to calm the kid.

Gurgen: Don't cry: look what I've got here.

Yarik turns to the Armenian who fumbles in his pocket, produces a soiled handkerchief and shows it to Yarik.

"And now a dance specially for our guest."

Yarik is mistrustful.

The Armenian spreads the kerchief on the cot. He puts his index and middle fingers on two corners and twists the handkerchief. It becomes something like a doll with a protruding ass, the Armenian's fingers for legs. He begins to hum a lullaby, moves his fingers and the doll comes to life. It jerks its legs and jumps in a funny way, and Yarik smirks and then begins to laugh. Now both of them laugh. When the Armenian is tired he takes the handkerchief off his fingers and helps Yarik to repeat his trick.

Yarik now manipulates the little figure. And the Armenian hums his tune.

"Gurgen, we are namesakes."

The lock clicks. The tune stops. The camera moves back from Gurgen's figurine and the Major appears from behind it. Samokhin and the Major stand in the doorway.

Major: Yarik. Come along with me. I'll help you to find your father.

Yarik gives a questioning look to Gurgen. Gurgen nods his encouragement.

Gurgen: Go, you've got to find your Dad.

Yarik hesitates, then approaches Gurgen and puts his arms around his neck. The latter hugs Yarik.

Gurgen: Remember, your mother is not dead. She lives in your heart.

Yarik looks at Gurgen. Yarik's eyes express yearning and wisdom. His eyes are much older and wiser than Gurgen's. Yarik gives the handkerchief to Gurgen, but the latter shakes his head.

Gurgen: Keep it. You are not alone now. You have a friend.

Yarik puts the handkerchief in his pocket, leaves Gurgen and walks toward the Major…

Boris gets stuck in a traffic jam. He is nervous. He tries desperately to get out of the jam: tries turning left, then tries to get in edgewise into the right-hand lane, but there are cars everywhere. Boris screams in despair and anger, bangs his fist on the dashboard and then grows quiet. He resigns. His car crawls with the traffic.

The Major leads Yarik along the hallway and stops in front of the door. Unlocks it with his key. They enter. Yarik is suspicious and keeps glancing at the Major. The Major motions Yarik to a chair.

Yarik sits down meekly and looks at the Major. The Major lights up a cigarette. He is waiting for something or someone.

A woman in a police uniform enters the office. The Major gives her an annoyed look, but says nothing. The woman looks tired and drained, but wears a mask of indifference. She justifies what she is doing for the Major, for a remuneration, by telling herself that she is not free and has to play by the Major's cruel rules. She is sure that she is just as much a victim as Yarik on whom she is about to pronounce a verdict. She puts on a white gown and approaches Yarik.

Major to Yarik: Take off your clothes.

Yarik asks no questions. He strips down to his shorts. He surreptitiously hides the photo under the pile of clothes.

The woman puts on rubber gloves, takes Yarik by the hand and pulls him towards her.She has him stand in front of her. She examines him, looks into his ears, thumps him on the back, looks at his hands, then feels his stomach and makes him open his mouth.

Woman: (her voice is weary and lifeless) Open your mouth.

Yarik opens his mouth obediently. The woman sticks a spoon in his mouth and examines his throat. She nods.

Yarik pushes away the hand holding the spoon and says:

Woman: Does it hurt?

Yarik tries to look cheerful and waves his hands as if to say no.

Yarik: No, it doesn't hurt at all.

Encounters the Woman's sharp and suspicious look.

Yarik: Well, just a bit.

Woman: OK, we won't touch it just yet. Let's listen to your heart.

The woman takes a stethoscope from the table and puts it against Yarik's chest. She listens to the beating of the little heart. She takes a long time. At last, she leaves Yarik alone. She nods to the Major to say that the kid is OK.

Major: Put on your clothes.

Yarik: Are we going to look for Dad?

Major: Sure. I promised.

The woman takes Yarik's hand and leads him out of the office. Her face wears a mask of indifference. She feels no emotions. She is separated from Yarik and the likes of him with a blind wall of indifference.

When the door is shut behind Yarik the Major sits down at the table and moves a computer keyboard closer. He hits the keys quickly. An Internet message appears on the monitor.

Text: "Have to meet urgently".

The Major taps the key with his finger and presto!-- the message is off. He smokes and waits for a reply looking at the display. The reply comes almost instantly.

The Major takes off his gown, throws it on the back of the chair and leaves the office.

Boris drives into a car park at the Kazan train station. Gets out of the car and walks into the station. Suddenly he realizes that the place is full of homeless kids. They drink, smoke, play around, beg for money, etc. Boris is amazed by their number. He enters the train station.

The Major in civilian clothes stands in front of his car. He smokes, looking at the turning windmills. A foreign-made car passes by, slows down and stops. It goes into reverse. Major looks calm and confident.

A man gets out of the car. He is of the same age as the Major. They shake hands, the man takes an envelope out of his pocket and gives it to the Major. The Major looks into the envelope, which contains a tight pack of dollars. He nods and the envelope goes into his pocket. The man drives away.

The Major gets into his car and hides the envelope under his seat. Suddenly his nerves give out. He looks around him, there is fear in his eyes. But… nothing happens. The windmills go on turning.

Boris in a corner pays Samokhin some money. Samokhin writes an address on a scrap of paper and gives it to Boris. He puts the money in his pocket.

Samokhin: "Are you sure you are his brother?"

Boris: (grins): "Shall I swear?"

Samokhin: "Don't bother, only take the photos from him and bring them here. They should go in the case file."

Samokhin: He and his parents, we don't care about that, but bring us back our photo… Our man took pictures of his mother on the spot of the accident.

Boris: What accident? What happened to his mother?

Samokhin: Got run over by a train…

Yarik is sitting on a chair in front of the Major. The Major smokes and looks at Yarik. Yarik looks at the Major waiting for him to say something.

Major: Ever flew on a plane?

Yarik shows interest.

Major: Would you like to?

The boss nods. Silence again.

Major: We have found your dad.

Yarik: Really? Where is he?

Major: He's far away. He is abroad. He works there now. You will fly to join him. Only, there is a problem.

Yarik: What problem?

Major: They don't allow kids to fly alone, and I can't fly with you. I have my work.

Yarik nods knowingly, he is impatient.

Major: But I have a friend. He'll take you to your dad.

Yarik lifts his head and smiles. His eyes shine.

Boris's jeep stops in front of the Home. Boris jumps out of the car and runs into the building.

The Major holds a passport into which Yarik's photo has been glued and which bears another kid's name. He thrusts the passport in his pocket. Boris enters the room.

Major: Who are you and who let you in?

Boris: I am Yarik's relative. Where is he?

The Major stares at Boris, sensing that Boris is lying.

Boris: What do you mean? What am I to do?

Major: Apply to your local police station, tell them he's been lost.

Boris gives up. He nods, and puts his calling card on the table in front of the Major. "Just in case".

Boris looks at the Major as if straining to remember something, but fails. The major gets up from behind the desk and opens the door for Boris. Boris walks out.

Boris: I remember you. You came to Oktyabrskaya station to collect Yarik. Do you remember?

The Major shrugs. His eyes lie. Boris is aware of it and he realizes that there is something fishy here. Yarik is in trouble. He makes as if to go back into the office, but the Major slams the door on him. He locks the door from inside and tears up Boris's calling car and throws it into the waste-basket.

Boris pounds on the door. A woman in police uniform, the one who was examining Yarik, appears from around the corner. Boris pushes her into a corner.

Boris: Where is Yarik? I know you have brought him here. But he is not here. Where is he?

Woman: What do you say his name is?

Boris: Yarik, short for Yaroslav.

Woman: (nodding) They found his mother. She collected him.

Boris: His mother is dead. You are lying, all of you.

Boris puts his hands on the woman's shoulders and begins to shake her, yelling: "Where is Yarik? Where is he?" Two sergeants are rushing to the rescue. They fall upon Boris, wring his arms and push him out…

Boris's jeep is parked discreetly around the corner of the building. Boris is inside the car leaning on the steering wheel, watching the entrance to the home for waifs and strays. He stirs up when he sees the Major coming out. The Major gets into a police car and drives off. Boris follows him.

The Major's car shoots the red light, it has the flashlight and the siren on. Boris's jeep follows it but nearly gets run over by a trolleybus.

Boris grinds his teeth, growls in frustration and looks angrily at the traffic light which does not seem to have the green light… Boris watches the Major's police car disappear in the flow of traffic.

The man who gave money to the Major is holding Yarik by the hand. Information on flights disappears from the scoreboard and greetings appear: "A Happy New Year 2006".

Yarik looks around him in wonderment. Everything is new to him at the airport. The man is obviously waiting for someone and is just a trifle nervous. He spots the Major's face in the crowd. He takes a better look. Yes, that's him. The Major approaches him. Yarik beams at him, but Major does not see Yarik. He gives the man a passport.

The man opens it, checks it, gives a satisfied nod and hands the Major the second installment of the bribe. The man hides the passport in his pocket and drags Yarik with him.

The man and Yarik are walking to board the plane.

The Man and Yarik are walking in the international area.

Boris bursts into the airport terminal. He dashes about the terminal and sees the receding figure of the Major. He rushes after him, catches up, grabs his shoulder and turns the Major around to face him:

Boris: Where is he? You scum. Tell me.

The Major tries to struggle free. Boris lands a heavy punch on his jaw. The Major falls. He tries to get up, but fails. He is groggy from the knockout punch. Cops and airport security are running towards them.

The Major gets up to his feet on the fifth or sixth try. Boris is overwhelmed by the cops. At that moment he sees Yarik and the Man behind the glass partition. They enter the international area and disappear.

Boris tries to struggle free and yells, "Let me go, they are abducting him. Let me go." Boris is handcuffed. During the scuffle Boris's watch is yanked from his hand and the bracelet falls to pieces.

The Major disappears in the airport crowd.

Yarik sits at the porthole and admires the clouds and the sunset. The man sits by his side flipping through a magazine.

For a moment Yarik tears himself away from the window and gives the Man a grateful and happy look. The Man beams back. Yarik again has his eyes glued to the porthole. The smile immediately disappears from the Man's face and he returns to his magazine.

Yarik can see the clouds part to reveal the magnificent view beneath. Yarik gives a shout of excitement and holds his breath. He casts a quick look at the Man, but the latter does not return the look this time, he does not smile back and rudely ignores him. Yarik does not mind as he is entranced by the view of the ocean.

Suddenly Yarik grows sad and thoughtful and his little hand traces the word "Dad" on the window.

The Man leads Yarik by the hand. They are walking through the terminal towards the exit. Yarik looks around him gaping at the notices in English, listening to the strange language spoken by the people around him. Yarik notes a cafeteria and hungrily looks at the people consuming hamburgers and hot dogs. Yarik looks up to the man and gives him a questioning and hungry look. The Man pretends not to notice Yarik's silent begging. Yarik saunters beside him.

They emerge from the terminal into a taxi rink. The Man waves his hand and a yellow cab immediately stops in front of them. The Man opens the door and nods to Yarik. Yarik gets into the cab. The Man gets in beside him and slams the door. He says something to the cabman and the cabman nods. The car drives off.

Yarik looks at the crowds in the street (Pylons of a gigantic bridge across a wide river are flitting by. Yarik sees sky-scrapers on the other side).

A patrol car, its siren wailing, rushes by. Yarik jumps in his seat and follows the car with admiring eyes. The Man is perfectly calm. He casts a glance at the cabman, who is unperturbed.

The car crosses the bridge, makes a turn and stops by the roadside.

The Man tosses money to the cabman and gets out of the car. Yarik, shifting his bottom sideways along the back seat, moves to the door, looks at the cabman and thanks him.

The cabman nods (replying in English, "You are welcome").

As soon as the cab disappears round the corner, a gray limo pulls up in front of Yarik and the Man. The Man opens the door and waves Yarik to get in.

The Man nods. Yarik climbs into the car. But he appears to be getting bored. He is tired. The Man gets into the limo and slams the door.

The limo drives to the intersection and turns in the direction opposite to that where the cab went.

The limousine moves along the street. It stops. A man (gangster) of about 40 with an attache case gets into the car.

Yarik stares at him.

The man stares at Yarik and says in English:

Gangster: Everything OK?

The Man nods in the affirmative.

The gangster then turns to the driver:

Gangster: Stop at the corner of 42nd.

The gangster passes the case to the Man, who takes it and puts it beside him on the seat and passes to the gangster a file with some kind of documents.

In the meantime the driver pulls up at the curb and stops. He leaves the engine running. The Man quickly gets out of the car. The door bangs. Yarik and the gangster are alone in the back of the car.

Yarik makes for the door, but the car starts moving abruptly and Yarik is hurled away from the door. Yarik stares out of the rear window and watches with horror the Man getting into a cab.

The limo turns at an intersection and the taxi disappears out of sight.

Yarik starts hollering: "Mum, mum! Dad!"

The gangsters are nervous and fidgety in their seats. They exchange looks. But they say nothing to Yarik. The driver turns on the volume on the stereo and the song blaring from the powerful speakers almost drowns out Yarik's yelling.

The limo drives up to the back door of the private clinic and into the courtyard.

The doors automatically shut behind it.

An elderly doctor comes to the limousine. The rear door opens, but Yarik has no intention of getting out. He looks at the gangsters and the doctor with frightened eyes. The doctor gives him an amiable smile and beckons Yarik to come toward him. He says in English:

Doctor: Come on, kid. Don't be afraid. Get out. Get a move on.

Yarik looks at his flashing smile and gingerly gets out of the limo (he compares it with the clenched teeth of the gangsters and makes his decision). Timidly, very carefully he gets out of the limo.

Yarik: Where is my Dad? Is he here? Will you take me to my Dad?

The doctor nods although his eyes show that he does not understand a word of Russian. But he nods, smiles and beckons to Yarik.

Yarik approaches him and takes his hand. He looks back on the gangsters in the limo. The doctor slams the limo door in a pointedly rude way, as if he is angry and waves his hands and hisses to chase the gangsters away. The limo drives away to Yarik's great joy. The doctor leads Yarik to the entrance.

The doctor and Yarik walk through a long hallway with no doors or windows. Some pipes and hoses run along the ceiling. Yarik tries to keep closer to the doctor. He gives him a flashing smile and says words of encouragement. Yarik, feeling that the doctor is a kind and compassionate man, decides to tell him about his distress and despair. He chatters away non-stop. The doctor nods and smiles.

Yarik: I waited for a long time. But she never came back. I was sore, but I didn't run away. I simply got lost. Then I decided I'd better try to find my dad first. I was in the city and he was somewhere in the city. I thought I would find him and then we would find mother together. But then I decided to look for Mum. I knew the name of the train station. Kazan station. I went there. I didn't know she was dead.

Yarik whimpers. The doctor shakes his head and makes sympathetic noises. Yarik immediately wipes his tears and continues to rattle away.

Yarik: I am not crying. Where are we going?

They walk and walk along the hallway that never ends. For a second Yarik lingers in front of an autumn landscape on the wall…

The sound of Yarik's steps amplifies and echoes through the hallway. The sound grows louder and louder and soon fills all the space, but as soon as Yarik stops talking, the echo vanishes and things are back where they were.

Yarik: And they told me my mother was dead. Here is her picture.

Yarik produces the pictures from under his shirt and offers them to the doctor. The latter looks at them as they walk. He raises his eyebrows. He looks at Yarik in surprise. But he says nothing and gives the pictures back to Yarik. He puts them away under his shirt.

Yarik: I was very sad. I loved my Mum and she loved me. And Dad loved her. He called her Snowflake. I don't know why, but he loved her and he could not have abandoned her.

Yarik giggles. He looks up at the doctor and catches him unawares: he can see the doctor is not listening. But Yarik thinks he does not believe him. Yarik stops and shouts angrily, clenching his fists:

Yarik: I saw them kissing, they loved each other and they loved me. He couldn't have walked out on us. He couldn't.

The doctor comes out of his fit of absent-mindedness and nods several times, strokes Yarik's back and head and shows by gestures that he understands everything and believes him.

Yarik calms down, follows the doctor, but he is silent and sulking. Suddenly they stop in front of huge doors. The doors open and Yarik sees an operating table and a group of people in masks and gowns.

Yarik: My tooth doesn't hurt. Honest. It does not.

The doctor smiles, nods and give Yarik a push in his back. Yarik steps forward and finds himself in the operation room.

Throughout the scene the throbbing of a child's heart is heard behind the screen. The throbbing grows louder and faster, then slows down, depending on whether Yarik is nervous or not.

They have Yarik stripped naked. He feels cold and chilly, he presses his thin arms against his tiny body and lifts first one foot then the other from the cold tiled floor.

In short, it's important to show how weak and vulnerable he is.

There are tears in his eyes.

The nurse throws Yarik's T-shirt on the floor and the photographs fall out. The nurse bends down to pick up the photos, but Yarik beats her to it and presses the photo against his naked body. The nurse reaches for the photo.

Yarik turns away from her and starts crying. At that point the surgeon waiting near the operating table barks at the nurse in English:

Surgeon: Leave him alone.

The nurse's hand stops in mid-motion and she steps back. Yarik falls quiet. He looks at the people in masks. Their sight frightens him. It spells misfortune. Yarik is dimly aware of it. He backtracks to the exit where the doctor with the flashing smile blocks his way. Yarik clutches at his gown, tugs at it and shouts:

Yarik: Tell them my tooth does not hurt. Honest. Let me go.

The doctor hunches down in front of Yarik and strokes his head. Yarik calms down. The doctor gets up, takes his hand and leads him to the operating table. Another nurse comes up to Yarik, dabs his shoulder with cotton wool soaked in alcohol and at that moment Yarik sees a syringe in her hands. He looks at the syringe, then at the doctor in horror. The doctor gives him his radiant smile and nods. Yarik shuts his eyes and turns away from the nurse. She gives him an injection. Yarik smiles and brags, looking at the doctor:

Yarik: You see, I didn't cry.

Yarik wants to say something, but he hasn't the use of his feet and drops to the floor, unconscious.

His heartbeat grows quiet and disappears.

The nurse, who failed to catch Yarik as he fell, is reprimanded by the surgeon who hisses at her.

The nurses put Yarik on the operation table. One of them tries to take the photo away from him, but his fingers won't let go. Finally, she wrests the photo away.

The photo goes into the pile of Yarik's clothes.

The doctor takes the clothes, the photo and Yarik's shoes and walks out of the operation room. He shuts the door behind him. He turns round and sees the nurses rubbing Yarik over with pads while the surgeon holds his scalpel at the ready. The doctor disappears down the hallway.

The measured heartbeats are heard from behind the doors of the operation room. Suddenly the heartbeats stop.

A man in medical gown comes out of the operation room, but we see him only below the waist. He has a container for donor organs in his hand.

The man walks down the empty hallway. The only sound is that of his echoing steps. Oppressive silence between the steps. He walks toward the longest hallway down which Yarik was walking just a few minutes ago.

He pushes the door and emerges into the street. An ambulance is waiting for him. The man gets into the vehicle. The door rattles shut and immediately the siren starts wailing. The vehicle speeds away.

The ambulance chases down the street. Other cars give way and the drivers follow it with alarmed eyes.

The doctor's face is calm, showing no emotions. He opens the lid of a furnace and tosses Yarik's shoes, T-shirt, windbreaker, sweater and passport into the raging flames. The photo falls on the floor. The doctor fumbles in the pockets of the jeans and finds a rumpled and faded calling card of Boris. He looks at it, then throws the calling card and the jeans into the fire. The doctor picks up the photo, looks at it for a second and throws it into the fire. He shuts the lid.

Boris leans over his sleeping daughter. Boris is disheveled, bruised, drained. His eyes express anguish and pain. He touches the daughter's face with his hand.

The child gives a start in her sleep and turns away from Boris without waking up.

Boris bends down and kisses his daughter on the head, strokes her hair and walks out of the room.

The door of the bedroom is half-open. His wife is in bed, sleeping. Boris does not even glance at her. He goes into the hallway, picks up car keys from a table and walks out of the apartment, quietly shutting the door.

The scene is based on close-ups of the Major's face and the sight of cars speeding on a collision course.

The Major is driving along an avenue. A soft jazz tune is playing. The Major is, as usual, calm and confident. He smokes. Suddenly he becomes alert and peers through the windshield. He becomes visibly perturbed. He hoots his horn.

The camera "looks"through the windshield , as if through the Major's eyes: Boris's jeep is heading down the Major's lane. The Major tries to dodge to avoid a clash. He swerves the car to the right, then to the left, hoots his horn and turns the wheel, blinks his headlights. His face and eyes express horror and unspeakable fear. The Major slams on the brakes.

The cars are moving on a collision course. Boris's jeep roars ahead.

A second before the clash the Major sees Boris's face in the jeep: Boris is calm, his face has a beatific expression. He knows that his salvation is in avenging Yarik's death, in killing the Major and taking his own life. The Major realizes it and… gives up. Within a split second of the crash he becomes calm. Like Boris, the Major resigns to execution and his own death. He does not scream, he does not cover his face with his hands. He simply lets go of the wheel and shuts his eyes…

We do not show the crash. As soon as the Major shuts his eyes the screen fades out. After a pause, the throbbing of a heart, Yarik's lullaby and titles.

During the last 5 years 62,000 children have been taken out of Russia. Among the most lucrative criminal businesses trade in human organs comes fifth after drug trafficking, smuggling of arms, cars and prostitution.