House of Tolerance

Breaking point of epochs. A dying 19th century, expensive brothel on the verge of closure. Women and even girls live in this isolated world. In the evenings they drink champagne and inhale opium, during the day they live their usual sorrows and joys. Among them there is a mysterious «woman who laughs» - a prostitute with a scar-smile across her face. Once this label was left by one of her clients.

It is remarkable that in the intonation of the director there is neither moralizing nor ecstasy about what is happening in the House. He is not here to approve or condemn his heroes. Perhaps it is thanks to this distance that the director creates a very lively and pulsating space in which the viewer is invited to stay as a guest who accidentally dropped in and stayed late.

 After the film, we brew some tea and share our impressions. The meeting will be hosted by me, a philosopher-cinephile and owner of the Varya Vlasova cinema.