Misha (Stephen Papps), a once celebrated Russian filmmaker has fallen on hard times. He resolves to leave his homeland in search of a film-friendly country where he can pursue his career. With wife Nadia (Elena Stejko) in tow, he sets sail from Russia in a tiny lifeboat, drifting cross the Pacific to make land in New Zealand.
Before long Misha realises that New Zealand is no more receptive to his ideas and aesthetic than Russia. Yet he perseveres with his experimental film, ignoring his wife’s pleas to find work, and increasingly withdraws into himself. Alone, his obsessions take hold and he becomes increasingly unstable …
An eccentric comedy/drama/art movie, Russian Snark premiered at the NZ Film Festival in 2010. That year it received six nominations in the NZ Film and TV Awards, including Best Director for Stephen, and won Best Supporting Actress for Stephanie Tauevihi. It has screened at numerous international festivals, winning Best International Film at the Garden State Film Festival in 2011, and the Grand Jury Prize at the 2011 Brussels Independent Film Festival.