Dogs’ Feast

The film opens at a grim train station on New Year’s Eve, a stark urban backdrop that frames Zhanna’s bleak daily routine. The action later shifts to a modest home, but the city’s industrial atmosphere remains a constant undercurrent. Leningrad’s cold, austere environment underscores the characters’ feelings of isolation and longing, setting a tone of desolation and fragile humanity.

🍷 Alcoholism

Zhanna’s perpetual drinking defines her existence and choices, contrasting with Arkady’s fragile sobriety. The narrative shows how addiction binds people to cycles of hope and relapse. Attempts to break free are easily undermined by past traumas and present temptations. The theme probes whether tenderness can endure within a life governed by compulsion.

💔 Betrayal

Arkady’s affair with Sasha exposes a lure of new excitement that destabilizes his bond with Zhanna. The flirtation reveals how illusion and desire can erode trust and deepen disappointment. The dynamic highlights power imbalances and the fragility of care in a strained relationship. Disillusionment shades the couple’s interactions and choices.

🕯️ Despair

As hope flickers and relationships falter, the film traces a descent into self-destruction. Zhanna’s decision to turn on the gas embodies a fatal sense of inevitability and wasted potential. The ending reframes their bond as a tragedy of unfulfilled longing and damaged self-worth. The bleak tone underscores the limits of love amid addiction and abuse.