Car, Violin and Blot the Dog 1974

In a seaside town, a sun-warmed courtyard sits among aging two-story buildings, and the lives of its residents unfold in a tapestry of small, intimate moments. The film follows a group of neighbors whose days touch one another in quiet, meaningful ways, painting a portrait of community, aspiration, and memory.

Two school friends are in love with Anna, the courtyard’s beauty who draws their attention and questions about growing up. One of them is Олег Починкин, a hands-on, jack-of-all-trades driver who spends his time tinkering with cars and other machines, trying to fix the world one dent at a time. The other is David, a musician still learning the violin, whose growing skill mirrors a young heart learning how to listen and to be heard.

Anna’s world includes more than romance. Her older sister is finishing school but struggles with her studies, finding support from a classmate and a tutor who represent the steady help that surrounds a person in transition. Anna also has a younger brother, Kuzya, a creative, imagination-fueled child who embraces the world with wide-eyed wonder. With toothpaste as his catalyst, he imagines turning a black dog into his own version of a “zerba,” a playful fantasy that blurs the line between dream and daily life.

Kuzya’s dream goes further still: he longs for many cats, convinced that cats can become monkeys, monkeys can become bears, and from bears he could conjure an army of friends. Anna, caught between responsibility and affection, works to bring him cats while navigating her own feelings and the uncertain currents of adolescence.

The film notices that Kuzya’s imaginative world is not simply a child’s invention; it is brought to life by a musical ensemble that also assumes the roles of various other characters. This troupe guides and supports the young protagonists on their journey, turning private fantasies into shared moments and lending a steady rhythm to their days with warmth, humor, and gentle wisdom.