A woman’s perspective on the reality of wartime is a simple human truth, filled with piercing details that seem unbelievable. It is a truth that is not mentioned in official documents, films, or books from the Soviet era, and it is even absent from the memoirs of male veterans. This is a play about life, where concepts like honor, love for the motherland, and compassion held great significance.

A Soviet trade union delegation arrives in Venice. Surrounded by “production pioneers,” the film’s heroine stands out like a “black sheep.” A Russian intellectual with the classical name Chloe, finding herself abroad for the first time—and in the very homeland of Casanova, no less—falls in love with an Italian named Lorenzo, unaware that he is a con artist and a gigolo who preys on wealthy women...