In 1971 Leningrad, Russian-Jewish Sergei Dovlatov is a young writer whose manuscripts are routinely rejected by the official media, while other writers have been forced into exile for their views. Sergei wants to stay in the country with his family and write about the reality he sees.

Alexey German Jr.‘s impressionistic biopic mimics the iconic literary figure Sergei Dovlatov’s subtle style to illustrate a dissident writer’s sorrows under a strict regime. German’s mounts a vivid reconstruction of ‘70s Leningrad, while keeping a keen eye on his protagonist’s psyche.