BY THE BLUEST OF SEAS

A storm on the Caspian Sea lands two friends, sailor Yusuf and mechanic Alyosha, on the shores of Soviet Azerbaijan. Working at the kolkhoz (“collective farm”), the two fall in love with a beautiful administrator, and their rivalry for her affections affects their work and threatens the community.

Boris Barnet is a sadly under-known master of Russian cinema. Shot on location in the Caspian region, this is one of the most uplifting films of the Soviet era. Eschewing propaganda in favor of warm comedy, its lyrical cinematography conveys unpredictability through the surging rhythms of the ocean.