Awards and Nominations

Victor is a biologist by training. He knows nothing about maps, the globe or the compass, but due to a lack of money he decides to become a geography teacher. He takes his family and moves to a remote location, to the faraway city of Perm. His first days at school are disappointing: the kids are an unruly bunch and he cannot see eye to eye with the teachers. His only respite is at home, with his daughter and his beloved wife… until the latter decides to divorce him. Victor feels misunderstood, lonely, and frustrated, with no hope for the future. Things improve when his old friend shows up in the neighbourhood. Together they begin a series of drinking sessions to lift their spirits. Drinking makes life more colourful, women come into the picture as well. Soon the transformed teacher takes a class on a wild expedition down a rushing river…

Loosely based on a bestselling novel by Alexyi Ivanov, the teacher is played by Russia’s biggest star – Konstantin Khabensky.