Dima lives with his family in an old apartment block containing a dormitory for 800 people. Living in cramped conditions and always short on money, his life is filled with frustration. One day, he discovers that his apartment building is in grave danger of collapsing, and alerts the relevant administrative agencies. However, the corrupt and indifferent mayor and her officials do not respond to Dima’s urgent request for speedy repair and evacuation. In order to save his family and neighbors, Dima declares war against the entire system of corrupt bureaucrats on his own. After receiving much attention for his previous feature, The Major(2013), presented in Critic’s Week at Cannes Film Festival in 2012, Yury Bykov again offers a sharp critique of Russia’s social malaise in The Fool. The director’s competence in combining ‘Russian’ sensibilities with rounded characters and socially critical attitudes is at the forefront of contemporary Russian helmers. For his special embodiment of the role of Dima, Artem Bystrov was awarded Best Actor Leopard at Lorcano Film Festival. (Jin PARK)