8 ½ $

Director Gera Kremov ( Ivan Okhlobystin ), who earns her living by shooting commercials , but dreams of a big movie , meets Matilda (Olesya Potashinskaya), the girlfriend of the gangster Fyodor ( Fyodor Bondarchuk ), and has a close relationship with her.

After some time, having received money from Fedor, he shoots a clip with Matilda in the lead role and the conversation finally turns to the big movie (with her in the lead role). For the production of the film Hera requests 300 thousand dollars, and Fedor, agreeing, offers to come to him and immediately arrange everything. In the office, however, Hera is waiting for an unpleasant surprise: Fedor is well aware of the not at all platonic relationship between Hera and Matilda. Fedor is going to take immediate action, but, choking on pistachio , dies. A couple of joy spends $ 150,000 a night, and the next morning they are told by the twin brother of Fyodor Stepan (also Fyodor Bondarchuk ) for money. Confused, Hera solves the problem by calling Spartak, a friend of the mafia. He agrees with Stepan that Hera will shoot and give up the film in a month.

Meanwhile, Stepan learns that Hera and Matilda had an affair and that 150,000 were spent. He is trying to convince Matilda that Hera will betray her. Matilde Hera becomes indifferent, because the director, tired of this burden, was carried away by Spartak's wife, actress Xenia. This leads to the fact that Spartak offers to make a film where Ksenia will play the main role. Hera confidently agrees, asking Spartak million dollars. The conversation of Spartacus and Hera is recorded on the tape, which Ksenia then transmits to Matilde.

Stepan and Spartak meet on the set to discuss further work of Hera. But their negotiations do not lead to anything good, the case ends with a firefight in which Spartak, Xenia and bodyguards are killed, and Stepan is wounded. After the brutal picture of Hera leaves, looking for Matilda, but falls under her jeep . Matilda gives the cassette, takes the suitcase Spartacus with the money and leaves. Stepan, who has woken up, tries to stop Matilda, then aims at Hera, but dies after choking on pistachio. Hera relieved smokes a “ cant ” and “flies away”.

• Ivan Okhlobystin - Gera Kremov
• Fedor Bondarchuk - Fedor, Stepan
• Olesya Potashinskaya - Matilda
• Vladimir Menshov - Sergey Spartak
• Natalia Andreichenko - Ksenia Potekhina (voiced by Renata Litvinova )
• Vladimir Shainsky - Lesik
• Igor Wernick - Boba, Stepan's guard
• Vyacheslav Razbegaev - Koka, Stepan's guard
• Angelina Chernova - Irma
• Armen Petrosyan - Armen
• Ramil Sabitov - Gera's assistant
• Gosha Kutsenko - Indian
• Ali Ibrahimov - Indian
• Gregory of Constantinople - Cameo
• Andrei Makarevich - Cameo
• Alexander Medvedev - Cameo
• Vladimir Presnyakov Jr. - Cameo
• Andrei I - advertiser

• Director: Gregory of Constantinople
• Operator: Yuri Lyubshin, Evgeny Korzhenkov
• Screenwriters:
  • Gregory of Constantinople
  • Avdotya Smirnova
  • Sergey Krylov
• Producer: Alexander Antipov
• Composer: Rushan Ayupov
• Editor: Natalia Sazhina, Albina Antipenko
• Artist: Eugene Mitta
• Costumes: Masha Tsigal , Natalia Ivakina
• Sound: Nikolay Mosin
• Grim: Ekaterina Shepeleva

• " Zero " - " The Song of the Real Indian "
• Vladimir Presnyakov - "Bublichki"
• Shura - “Summer Rains”
• Grisha of Constantinople - "Matilda", "Vampire", "Matilda and Vampire"
• Garik Sukachev - “Tombe la neige”, “Vitka Fomkin”
• " Masha and the Bears " - "Lyubochka"
• " Megapolis " - "Gypsy"
• " Pep-si " - "Little Johnny"
• " DJ Groove " - "There was no sadness"
• " Siskin & Co " - "Polonaise"
• “ Moral Code ” - “Goodbye, Mom”

• Natalya Andreichenko , who played the role of Ksenia, refused to put her name in the credits due to the conflict with the director (the name “Natalya the Deceived” appears in the credits). Her role was voiced by Renata Litvinova .
• In the credits there is the real name of the actor Gosha Kutsenko - Yuri.
• The film was shot in 1999, but due to copyright infringement in the music used, its release was postponed. At the same time, the film was published on videotapes in the 2000s and was shown on television. The film was removed to the archive, where it lay for seven years. In 2006, the tape was found, but it was spoiled due to improper storage conditions, we had to restore the sound, update the music (all musicians allowed to use their music for free, only Ennio Morricone asked for $ 40,000, and his music from the film had to be removed) and, At the same time, the image was converted to 3D . These works added another 4 million rubles to the budget.
• During the restoration of Constantinople, the script was written remake - "8.5 dollars 2222".

• "$ 8 ½" on the site "Encyclopedia of the national cinema"
• 8 ½ $ (Eng.) On the Internet Movie Database  
• Review by Alex Exler