Set in Moscow, 1985, “PAL/SECAM” follows Boris on his quest to get laid. Sick of using his bathtub drain as a girlfriend substitute, the young horndog uses his VCR and a homemade disco ball as bait to lure a pretty girl back to his bedroom. However, Boris’ task proves to be more difficult than he thought. When Marina, the ratted-haired target of this young Russian, desires champagne, extreme measures are called for. Turning to a couple of typical of-age do-nothings, Boris gets caught in the middle of a porno screening in his own living room. Don’t fret; a group of desperate 40-somethings gawking at a XXX video isn’t enough to stop this determined youth. Even when all signs seem to be pointing towards failure, Povolotski’s protagonist shows everyone that anything is possible when you want it badly enough.
Writer and director Dmitry Povolotski moved from Russia to attend the Julliard School, studying ballet and choreography. His dancing career was put to the side the second his film career was born. Povolotski applied to the MFA program at Columbia University and made his first short film in 2003. Using his hometown as a backdrop, the Russian filmmaker captures a time and place unique to any other. Pictures of Arnold Schwarzenegger and other 80s icons cover Boris’ walls. His obsession with an Indian dancing/martial arts video gets him out of trouble when the sweaty voyeurs’ porn tape breaks.
The look of the film immediately places the viewer right in 1985 Moscow. Once settled into its setting, the film takes off. What follows is fifteen minutes of hilarious comedy. Judging by this effort, Povolotski seems to be quite a talented filmmaker. He’s set to shoot “Kapitalist,” his first feature-length film this year. The production will take place back in the director’s hometown of Moscow.
