Old Walls

Anna Georgievna Smirnova is a serious, businesslike and judicious person. It was these strengths of her character that helped the woman achieve high career results. Anna is a deputy and director of a textile factory in the Moscow region, who has long put an end to her personal life. She lives with her elderly mother. Her husband died, and her only daughter, Irina, is married. But suddenly, in a sanatorium in the southern resort of Anna, she meets a man named Volodya. He is a Muscovite, a former pilot, and now a driver. Volodya is younger than Anna, behind him two unsuccessful marriages. Between already middle-aged people a feeling of mutual sympathy erupts.

Directed by Viktor Tregubovich, Old Walls leans on a strong ensemble — Lyudmila Gurchenko, Armen Dzhigarkhanyan, Yevgeniya Sabelnikova — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1973.