Koo! Kin-Dza-Dza

Pushing the wrong button is all it takes: the penniless Tolik and the renowned cellist Chisov have only just met one wintry evening in Moscow when this mishap flings them to the planet Plyuk, with nothing but desert all around and a vehicle that resembles a rusty tin can. Grinning, Tolik takes a selfie, while Chisov rolls his eyes at such banality. Thus begins the journey of two completely mismatched characters in a setting that casts doubt on all that is self-evident. “Koo! Kin-Dza-Dza” is the remake of Georgy Daneliya’s cult film from the 1980s. Like the original film, this animated remake also uses very few means to create a world full of naïve absurdities. The planet of Plyuk is filled with wonder, where scrap-metal containers can fly and the last breath of the deceased is preserved in hovering balloons. But Plyuk is also a dystopia, in which the inhabitants are judged by the colour of their pants and an ordinary match is more valuable than human life. Tolik and Chisov slog through a profusion of sand, new (insincere) friendships and cultural misunderstandings. After their initial amusement, however, the mood changes and the two only want to return home again. Tolik’s curiosity and amiability proves to be considerably more useful for this undertaking than Chisov’s professional pride and sophistication. All the more as Chisov’s virtuoso cello playing is vehemently rejected by the inhabitants of Plyuk. That said, “Koo! Kin-Dza-Dza” also touches on an appeal for overcoming social differences: it takes a strange planet for Tolik and Chisov to realise that the difference between them regarding status and the size of their wallets is really small compared to their contrast to the absurd culture on Plyuk. Their new sense of solidarity becomes their only hope for salvation. (ast)
Voices: Nicolay Gubenko, Ivan Tsekhmistrenko, Andrey Leonov