Movie Screening "Leningrad Cowboys Go America"

The wildest film by "Finnish Jarmusch" Aki Kaurismäki. There are two interesting stories here: the one in the film and the one that isn't in the film. So, Siberian lazy musicians perform before a cultural committee – of course, with no success. But one official gives them the phone number of his relative in the USA, saying, "Try to go there; they play all sorts of nonsense." And of course, they head there. They buy an old Cadillac, grow crazy hairstyles, put on dark glasses and shoes with incredible toes to pass as Americans, and…

The second story is that in 1987, a band called Sleepy Sleepers actually formed in Finland, performing cover versions of rock 'n' roll hits mixed with Russian folk songs. Kaurismäki noticed them and invited them to be in his film. The musicians immediately renamed themselves Leningrad Cowboys and eventually became not just popular but literally one of the symbols of the country! The author of this text attended their almost sole concert in St. Petersburg, and it was definitely one of the best concerts of his life!