A melodrama with elements of comedy about a young lad from an ordinary provincial town like many in Russia, with just one kindergarten, one school, one factory. As a result, one grows up here never facing the alternative as to what to choose, for everything is preordained. Leonid is an ordinary lad who, like his peers, goes to discos, dances with girls and picks fights with the local riff-raff later. Everything is going well for him, as his life is totally predictable. But one day the factory closes down and he becomes disoriented. For the first time ever, he is to make a choice on his own and think seriously about what he would like to do… His life begins to develop as he encounters a chain of different people. —IMDb
Boris KHLEBNIKOV (1972, Moscow) studied biology for two years at the Moscow State Pedagogical Institute before (at a second attempt) he was admitted to the VGIK. During his studies at this famous film academy he made, together with Aleksey Popogrebsky, a 20 minute short called Passing By (1994). His feature directing debut, Roads to Koktebel (2003), was also in collaboration with Popogrebsky. This film was awarded the special FIPRESCI debut prize at the 25th Moscow IFF in 2003. Free Floating is his second feature.
Mimokhod/Passing By (1994, short, co-dir) Cunning Frog (2001, short), Black Snow (2002, TV, 15 episodes), Koktebel/Roads to Koktebel (2003, co-dir), Svobodnoe plavanie/Free Floating (2006) —IFFR
