GOD'S SMILE, OR THE ODESSA STORY

Chicago premiere!
GOD'S SMILE, OR THE ODESSA STORY
2008, Vladimir Alenikov, Russia, 122 min.
With Ivan Zhidkov, Marya Gorban

Alan, a young man living in Chicago, is asked by his dying Ukrainian grandfather to go to Odessa and bring back the old man's cat...but that darn feline proves to be as elusive as Lewis Carroll's Cheshire variety. While touring Odessa's legendary catacombs, Alan takes a wrong turn and winds up in the very Soviet year of 1954, where he finds himself battling his own grandfather for the affections of a fetching Red redhead. Cleverly combining elements of BACK TO THE FUTURE and Kusturica's UNDERGROUND with generous doses of comedy, music, satire, and sentiment, GOD'S SMILE proves the saying, "In Odessa, anything can happen!" Special thanks to Prestige Auto Center and La Mirage Restaurant. In Russian with English subtitles. 35mm widescreen. (MR)

Director Vladimir Alenikov and actress Tamara Tana will NOT be present for audience discussion as originally scheduled due to illness. We apologize for any inconvenience.