Road to Life

Road to Life is a 1931 Soviet drama film written and directed by Nikolai Ekk. The film won an award at the 1932 Venice International Film Festival, which went to Ekk for Most Convincing Director. It was the first sound film in the Soviet Union, and the first to be win a Best Director award at any film festival. Plot summary In Moscow operates one of the countless gangs of street kids – Zhigan's gang. The boys who belong to it have been living on the street for a long time. In December 1923 police forces conduct a raid, and catch about a thousand homeless children. Almost all of them are distributed to orphanages. But there are several dozen minors who run away from all the orphanages to which they are sent. For example, Mustafa has escaped 8 times and had to be returned 15 times by the authorities. What is one supposed to do with them? This leads to a decision to send them over to a house of correction, that is, a prison for minors. Sergeev offers another solution: to create a labor commune. The children will work as carpenters, shoemakers, carpenters, remain free citizens, they will feed themselves. But not with theft, instead with work ... Good intentions as always, are good only in theory. In practice, the former street kids do not immediately become honest hard workers ...