Bender: Gold of the Empire, also known as Ostap Bender Trilogy (Russian: Бендер: Золото империи) is a 2021 Russian action adventure comedy film directed by Igor Zaytsev, a sequel to the film Bender: The Beginning from the production company Sreda. It was theatrically released in Russia on 15 July 2021.
The film tells the story of how Ibrahim Bender and his student Ostap suddenly lose a precious treasure and it falls into the hands of Nestor Makhno, who is sure that there are other relics in the vicinity. As a result, reds, whites, bandits and partisans start hunting for gold.
Contents
Plot
Set against the backdrop of the Russian Civil War in 1919 in the South of Russia, the film follows the pursuit of a missing imperial relic, the scepter of Pyotr Rumyantsev, which has disappeared during transportation. Lev Trotsky, Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council, faces the risk of losing vital arms supplies unless the artifact is recovered. He tasks Grigory Kotovsky with finding and returning the scepter.
Simultaneously, the relic is sought by young adventurer Ostap Bender and his mentor, the seasoned con artist Ibrahim Bender. The scepter is hidden in the home of undertaker Mark Sagalovich, who plans to marry off his daughter, Sonya, to the notorious bandit Mishka Yaponchik against her will. Disguised as Orthodox Jews, Ostap and Ibrahim infiltrate the wedding to retrieve the artifact. However, their plan is thwarted when leftist anarchist Nestor Makhno crashes the wedding and steals the scepter.
Kotovsky, now allied with the bandit Tarasevich, captures Bender and Zadunaisky to use them as leverage to infiltrate Makhno's camp.
Cast
Sergey Bezrukov as Ibrahim Suleiman Berta-Maria Bender-Bey
Aram Vardevanyan as Osip "Osya" Zadunaisky (Ostap Bender-Zadunaisky)
Nikita Kologrivyy as Mishka Yaponchik
Yuliya Makarova as Sofi Sokolovich
Vera Brezhneva as Robber
Yuri Kolokolnikov as Grigory Kotovsky
Pavel Derevyanko as Nestor Makhno
Aleksandr Tsekalo as Mark Sokolovich
Yuliya Rutberg as Madame Sokolovich
Olga Sutulova as Maria Zadunaiskaya, Osip Zadunaisky's mother
Artyom Tkachenko as Staff captain Mishin-Ametistov
Production
The film is slated to be merged with the prequel, Bender: The Beginning, and the sequel, Bender: The Final Hustle, to be released as a TV series.