| Freedom is Paradise | |
| Director: | Sergei Bodrov |
| Starring: | Vladimir Kozyrev Alexander Bureyev |
| Cinematography: | Yuri Skhirtladze |
| Music: | Alexander Raskatov |
| Studio: | Mosfilm, Creative Association "Rhythm" |
| Runtime: | 72 minutes |
| Country: | Soviet Union |
| Language: | Russian |
Freedom Is Paradise (Russian: СЭР, acronym for Свобода Это Раи, Svoboda Eto Rai) is a 1989 Soviet Union film directed by Sergei Bodrov. It won the Grand Prix des Amériques, the main prize at the Montreal World Film Festival, and brought Bodrov international acclaim.[1] [2] [3]
The film follows 13-year-old Sascha, a half-orphan living in a reform school for troubled children in Alma-Ata, Kazakh SSR. Determined to find the father he has never met, Sascha repeatedly escapes from the institution, only to be caught and returned each time. During one of his attempts, he manages to travel as far as Arkhangelsk, where he locates the labor camp where his father is imprisoned. The camp commander allows Sascha to spend a single night with his father before he is sent back to the reform school the next morning.
The film's title, Freedom is Paradise, refers to the phrase "С.Э.Р." (an abbreviation of the Russian "Свобода — это рай") tattooed on Sascha's hand, a motto shared by many of the prison inmates. This poignant symbol underscores the young boy’s yearning for freedom and connection in a world marked by separation and hardship.