Zhvanetsky
A Russian performance documentary keeps Mikhail Zhvanetsky’s comic voice alive through celebrated artists, intimate home footage, and newly revealed material.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- reflective
- celebratory
- intimate
- cultural documentary night
- music history viewing
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film presents leading Russian artists reviving Mikhail Zhvanetsky’s best-known monologues for a contemporary audience.
Unique footage shot inside Zhvanetsky’s house is paired with concert rehearsals and stage material.
Sergey Makovetskiy, Yuriy Stoyanov, Igor Zolotovitsky, Ilya Sobolev, Kristina Babushkina, and Pavel Derevyanko perform and reflect through Zhvanetsky’s work.
Rehearsals of concert numbers are presented as a central source of insight into Zhvanetsky’s artistic legacy.
Films like Zhvanetsky, and why
The Sparks Brothers
shared artist portrait format, performance footage, and reflection on a major cultural legacy
The Last Waltz
shared music documentary structure, rehearsal material, and emphasis on live performance as cultural memory
Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind
shared archival intimacy, influential performer subject, and exploration of an artist’s public persona
Movie Details
- Director
- Vadim Plokhotnikov
- Release Date
- 2025-05-15
- Runtime
- 90 min
- Rating
- 10.0 / 10 (1)
Cast
- Sergey Makovetskiy
- Yuriy Stoyanov
- Igor Zolotovitsky
- Ilya Sobolev
- Kristina Babushkina
- Pavel Derevyanko
- Sergey Zhilin
- Stanislav Duzhnikov
- Vladimir Vdovichenkov
- Nastasya Samburskaya
Common questions
- What is Zhvanetsky about?
- A Russian performance documentary keeps Mikhail Zhvanetsky’s comic voice alive through celebrated artists, intimate home footage, and newly revealed material.
- What is Zhvanetsky like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Zhvanetsky as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Zhvanetsky violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Zhvanetsky.
- Which films are like Zhvanetsky?
- Films with a similar feel include The Sparks Brothers, The Last Waltz, and Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind.
- How long is Zhvanetsky?
- Zhvanetsky runs 90 minutes.
