| Adventures of a Dentist | |
| Director: | Elem Klimov |
| Starring: | Andrey Myagkov Vera Vasilyeva Alisa Freindlich Panteleymon Krymov Andrei Petrov |
| Music: | Alfred Schnittke |
| Cinematography: | Samuil Rubashkin |
| Editing: | Valeriya Belova |
| Studio: | Mosfilm[1] |
| Runtime: | 82 min. |
| Country: | Soviet Union |
| Language: | Russian |
Adventures of a Dentist (Russian: Похождения зубного врача|Pokhozhdyeniya zubnovo vracha) is a 1965 Soviet dark comedy film directed by Elem Klimov on Mosfilm. It is currently available to view through the Criterion Channel, and is occasionally screened at film festivals.
A dentist is derided (and eventually has his life ruined) by his colleagues for his natural talent of painlessly pulling out teeth.
The film was shot in Kaluga on Dostoevsky Street, Bauman Street, Pushkin Street, Stary Torg Square, Assumption Church.[2]
The film's implication, that society inevitably ostracizes those who are gifted, horrified censors who told Klimov to change it. When Klimov refused, the film was given the lowest classification: "category three", which meant that it was shown in only 25-78 movie theatres. Only about half a million viewers saw the film when it premiered. In the West, the film has gained recognition due to it being directed by Klimov (most known for his film Come and See), and it has been screened at several film festivals in the last few years.[3]