THE HOG

БОРОВ

Short,

Russian Federation

2025

Runtime, min

A childrens sambo coach named Borov conducts clandestine fights without rules for the entertainment of a criminal boss. Borov needs money to send his son to school and to protect him from the poverty and banditry that are going on in the town. The son does not know about his father's work for criminals, but upon returning from the army, he comes to fights without rules in order to get a job with a criminal boss. There is a fight, the son is almost beaten to death in battle. Borov, risking his life, saves his son, but becomes a victim of another guy, whose brother died in a previous battle due to Borov's fault. A criminal boss comes to his son and says that his father is dead, and now his son has a debt for his father that needs to be worked off. The son refuses to work for the bandits, he is ready to pay off the only value – an apartment, but, already packing up, the son finds his father's money, set aside for his studies. The son runs away with the money, abandoning the criminal path.

Director:

Dmitry Baryshnikov

Selections and Awards:

BEHIND THE SCENES

REVIEWS:

Priceless! No notes. (He was a good man and he loved his son till the end....<3 )

Sara Barton

A very heavy and dramatic film with deep emotional layers and harsh realities. About true values. The film feels cleansing — leaving warmth, light, and hope. Thank you!

Live Screenings Attendee

The fight scenes are genuinely well-choreographed. You feel the weight of every hit, especially when the son gets wrecked in the finale. But the first act drags a bit; I wanted more pace.

Federico Passero

The film uses its visual language brilliantly: soft lenses, grimy shadows, the harsh overhead lights. Everything reinforces the sense of entrapment. The basement scenes are the strongest; the film becomes almost tactile.

Jacob Carter

I felt the film leaned too hard into emotional manipulation. The gritty visuals work, but the story is predictable in places. Especially the final “father’s debt” twist.

Mathieu Gordon

I was struck by how the film uses one coach’s story to show the collapse of an entire social system. Teachers becoming underground fight organizers, kids turning to gangs just to survive. A powerful social drama.

Lucia Sanchez Ortiz

I’ve seen dozens of similar crime dramas, and this one doesn’t break new ground. But the lead actor, the father, carries the entire film on his shoulders. He’s the reason to watch it.

Anthony Patant

You can feel here the late-Soviet noir influence, The grim lighting, those claustrophobic basements, and the heavy sense of inevitability crushing harder than the punches. The film impressed me with how honestly it portrays a man trying to stay righteous in a world where “righteous” simply doesn’t work anymore.

Ioanna Glaser

This is pure gold for fans of Russian crime films. Sweaty basements, bets, tough guys in tracksuits, clipped dialogue. But the core emotional story elevates it. Loved it.

Aiden Caron