Directed by:
MadonnaCast:
Oleg Fyodorov, Stephen Graham, Richard E. Grant, Eugene Hutz, Vicky McClure, Elliot Levey, Amber Doyle, Ade, Tim Wallers, Hannah Walters, Thomas Gobena (more)Plots(1)
Andriy Krystiyan, or A. K. for short, has come to England from the Ukraine. A. K. is a philosopher (at least that's what he claims to be), a poet, and an authority on all aspects of life. At the same time, he is following his grand plan to become an international star. Global stardom is how A. K. describes the goal that he and his band Gogol Bordello are pursuing with their particular brand of boisterous gypsy punk. For the time being, however, he makes ends meet by performing role play in women's clothing for straight married men.
A. K. shares a flat with two young women named Juliette and Holly. Juliette dreams of being a kind of Florence Nightingale of the developing world. She is currently working behind the counter at the local drug store run by Sardeep, the Indian chemist. Holly is a trained ballerina. Her big dream is to dance with the Royal Ballet. So far she hasn't been able to earn a single penny with her dancing, and continues to 'polish' her skills as a pole dancer at Beechman's Exotic Gentleman's Club.
These three distinctive personalities are at the centre of a cinematic tale of everyday life about people who are obliged to take on jobs just to earn a living, but who live in hope of one day fulfilling their dreams. But the paths to one's goal are sometimes circuitous. And whether we take the path of wisdom or the path of filth, we will eventually arrive at the same enlightened place.
(Berlinale)
Cast
Oleg Fyodorov
Ukraine
Best movies:
Prime Suspect 6 (2003) (TV movie)
A Hunting Accident (1978)
Eastern Promises (2007)
Stephen Graham
UK
Best movies:
Snatch (2000)
Young Woman and the Sea (2024)
This Is England (2006)
Richard E. Grant
Swaziland
Best movies:
Corpse Bride (2005)
Logan (2017)
Twelfth Night: Or What You Will (1996)
Eugene Hutz
Soviet Union
Best movies:
Everything Is Illuminated (2005)
Live Earth (2007) (concert)
Filth and Wisdom (2008)
Vicky McClure
UK
Best movies:
This Is England (2006)
Svengali (2013)
Filth and Wisdom (2008)
Elliot Levey
UK
Best movies:
Much Ado About Nothing (2011) (theatrical recording)
National Theatre Live: Good (2023) (theatrical recording)
Endeavour (2012) (series)
Amber Doyle
Best movies:
Anna Karenina (2012)
Filth and Wisdom (2008)
Ade
UK
Best movies:
Snatch (2000)
Casino Royale (2006)
The 51st State (2001)
Tim Wallers
Best movies:
Sherlock (2010) (series)
Wives and Daughters (1999) (series)
RocknRolla (2008)
Hannah Walters
Best movies:
This Is England (2006)
Boiling Point (2021)
Code of a Killer (2015) (TV movie)
Thomas Gobena
Ethiopia
Best movies:
Filth and Wisdom (2008)
Holly Weston
UK
Best movies:
The Danish Girl (2015)
John Carter (2012)
Filth and Wisdom (2008)
Shobu Kapoor
Best movies:
The Infidel (2010)
Filth and Wisdom (2008)
Bend It Like Beckham (2002)