1988 Soviet film directed by Evgeniy Tsymbal
Defence Counsel Sedov (Russian: Защитник Седов) is a 1988 Soviet short film directed by Evgeniy Tsymbal.[1][2][3]
The film takes place in 1937. The film tells about a Moscow lawyer who goes to the provinces to prevent crime.[4]
Plot
Moscow lawyer Sedov is visited by three women from a rural village, pleading for him to help overturn an unjust death sentence imposed on local agronomists accused under Article 58, a notorious Soviet law targeting "enemies of the state." Initially reluctant due to the political dangers of taking on such a case, Sedov eventually agrees under the women's emotional persuasion and travels to the provincial town of Ensk, where the trial is being held. Upon investigating, Sedov uncovers that the case is a complete fabrication, marred by gross procedural violations. He appeals to the "Great Prosecutor" (implied to be Andrei Vyshinsky), seeking justice.
Soon after, NKVD agents arrive at Sedov’s law office and take him into custody. He finds himself in a courtroom where the prosecutor dramatically announces that all officials involved in the investigation have been executed as "Trotskyite-Bukharinite agents," "saboteurs," and "spies," while the accused agronomists have been exonerated. The prosecutor urges the court to applaud Sedov for his "vigilance" in uncovering this latest "conspiracy." Although he has saved a few innocent lives, Sedov inadvertently becomes responsible for the deaths of many more.
Cast
References
External links
