Ivan Okhlobystin’s "Tarantina," a summary Automatic translate

Ivan Okhlobystin’s absurd adventure story describes the attempt of steppe nomads to obtain the latest film from a famous American director. The work was created in the mid-2000s, depicting the archaic traditions of the East colliding with the modern Western film industry.

In 2005, the text was successfully adapted for the screen. Director Roman Kachanov produced a television series. The project brought together a renowned cast. It premiered in early 2006 on a federal channel.

The beginning of the conflict

In a wealthy steppe village, preparations are underway for a lavish wedding. The influential fathers, Khodjigorkhan and Nuskhamukhan, decide to dazzle their guests with an unprecedented spectacle. They plan to show Quentin Tarantino’s latest masterpiece at the celebration. The film has not yet been released worldwide. Khodjigorkhan proudly declares, "My power is with me, like the light bulbs on your ram."

The task of obtaining a copy is entrusted to Khodjigorkhan’s brother, Mazankhan. He receives twenty-five kilograms of diamonds from Grandfather Nomto’s chest. Mazankhan sends his three enormous nephews overseas. The brothers resolve all matters in an original way — they throw dice. The Asians enlist Naikhal, Nalkhan’s son, as a cunning intermediary.

Meanwhile, in Moscow, young adventurer Max Bogushev gets into serious trouble. He sells a mutant marmot from Chernobyl to a Colombian businessman named Dr. Salvador. Max has already received a four thousand dollar advance. The radioactive predator possesses astonishing properties. The beast lays eggs like a chicken, and its heat output is equivalent to twenty kilograms of enriched uranium.

Marmot disappears, having chewed up all the furniture in the room. The Colombian gives Max exactly three days to repay the debt. Max is getting married soon to his girlfriend, Lera. The groom doesn’t have the means to save his life. Max’s grandmother, a former secret service agent, is against the marriage.

Operation in America

The American story begins at the studio of a famous director. Projectionist Quincy works with secret film. Security checks each reel with a special scanner. A black man loves to paint figurines of Napoleonic soldiers. Quincy is constantly in need of money because of his new girlfriend, Isabel. Asian envoys track the projectionist down to a local café. Nihal spills a handful of large diamonds on the table. Quincy can’t refuse the generous offer.

The next day, Quincy smuggles a video camera into the projection booth. He hides the equipment in the toilet cistern. A mechanic positions the lens opposite the viewing window. The recording begins successfully. The nomads’ plans are thwarted by the eccentric dancer Maggie Sweetie. She secretly enters the theater without a security pass. She hides right under the projection booth window. Maggie’s head obscures the camera lens. A security guard notices the red light and interrupts the screening. FBI agents arrest Quincy right in his hotel room during a romantic rendezvous.

New plans and escape

Important guests are gathering in the Kalmyk steppe. Khodjigorkhan ceremoniously starts the tape Naikhal brought. Instead of the expected action movie, the screen displays the enormous blinking eye of Maggie Candy. An enraged Khodjigorkhan feels deeply insulted. The khans nervously crumple their evil eye amulets. The host’s authority with the neighbors diminishes.

Mazankhan punishes Naikhal for ruining the celebration. He takes a sharp cleaver and chops off the culprit’s finger. The steppe authorities decide to try again at any cost. The disgraced heroes plan to personally find the necessary specialists.

To implement their new plan, Mazanhan and the crippled Naikhal fly to Moscow. They are looking for film critic Felix Dobrzhansky. The students call this nervous professor Fellini. The Asians find the critic at an anti-piracy rally. The event was organized by crime boss Mykola Pepelnitsa. This video pirate is also hunting for a new film. Previously, his man Phil tried to copy the film onto 350 floppy disks, but was caught by security. Now Mykola hopes to intercept someone else’s loot.

Max Bogushev fakes his own death in a car accident. It’s the only way to escape the enraged Colombian Salvador. Max’s grandmother, his friend Gosha, and the hairdresser Slava stage a fake funeral. Salvador comes for the money and sees a funeral vase painted with fat-bottomed satyrs on the table. Max secretly communicates with his friends on the phone.

The heroes’ paths intersect. Adventurer Bogushev and Professor Fellini find themselves embroiled in a plot by the nomads. The motley crew travels to the United States to search for a new copy. The operation immediately goes awry. The Asians attempt to bribe an American police officer with a hundred dollars. The honest officer indignantly rejects the bill.

Fellini takes advantage of the chaos in the hotel room. The professor escapes his captors through a narrow bathroom window. The fugitive buys an old car from a parking lot and acquires a red fire axe as a weapon. FBI agents pursue all participants in this frantic chase.

A tired Max is hiding from the FBI. He stops for a drink at a small bar called Formosa. Intoxicated, he pours out his heart to a random patron. Max laments his misadventures. He recalls the tense running around with a microphone and the aggressive American special agents.

Max reveals to the stranger the absurd purpose of the entire operation. He explains that the steppe dwellers simply want to impress their guests. They need an outstanding soundtrack — musical accompaniment — and a fresh running time — the length of a film — for a village wedding. The stranger listens raptly to this absurd tale. The visitor laughs at the anecdote and orders more strong drinks. The conversation between the two casual drinking companions concludes this paradoxical story.