House Under the Starry Skies (1991): Cast & Plot

Set in the waning days of the Soviet era during Perestroika, this story centers on the Bashkirtsev family, led by Андрей Николаевич Башкирцев, a celebrated scientist and deputy of the Supreme Soviet. Upon returning from an abroad assignment, he senses he is being tailed. At his anniversary celebration, his son-in-law Константин Кологривов arrives with a provocative guest from Mosconcert, the enigmatic Валентин Компостеров. Valentin’s unsettling presence unsettles the party, and during a reckless magic trick he theatrically saws apart Konstantin’s wife, Лиза, Bashkirtsev’s elder daughter. ” From that moment, Valentin appears to inhabit the household as a literal malign spirit, sowing fear, misfortune, and death wherever he goes.