How I Ended This Summer

Pavel 'Pasha' Danilov arrives at a secluded Soviet-era weather station on a remote Arctic island. This marks the beginning of his internship, where he is paired with the grumpy geophysicist Sergei Gulybin.

Pasha and Sergei engage in the monotonous routine of collecting weather and tide statistics every four hours. Their outdated equipment adds to the dreariness of their tasks, and Pasha's polite nature often contrasts with Sergei's gruff demeanor.

Sergei embarks on an unauthorized fishing trip, instructing Pasha to keep it a secret. Pasha, caught between his duties and Sergei's demands, is faced with a moral dilemma regarding the integrity of their work.

Pasha receives a radio message informing him that Sergei's wife and son have been gravely injured in an accident. He grapples with the devastating truth that they have actually passed away.

Feeling obligated to protect Sergei from the harsh reality, Pasha begins to fabricate excuses for Sergei's absence during the collection duties. This deceit weighs heavily on him as he struggles to maintain his composure.

When Sergei returns in high spirits, he discovers the falsified log entries. Furious, he accuses Pasha of undermining the station's integrity and mocks him as a mere 'tourist,' intensifying the tension between them.

In a fit of fear and desperation, Pasha cuts off the station's communication radio. This act complicates their situation further as they are stranded without a way to call for help.

As Pasha learns that the ship meant to rescue them is trapped in ice, he waits for a helicopter. However, he encounters a terrifying polar bear and suffers a fall down a steep embankment during his attempts to signal for help.

After waking up on Sergei's boat, Pasha tries to broach the topic of the devastating news but is dismissively shrugged off. This interaction fuels Pasha's anxiety and heightens the sense of impending disaster.

In desperation, Pasha reveals the tragic fate of Sergei's family, causing Sergei to fly into a rage. In a panicked confrontation, Pasha mistakenly believes Sergei is attacking him, leading to a shot fired in chaos.

Pasha retreats into an abandoned cabin to avoid Sergei after the shooting. Consumed by fear and guilt, he eavesdrops on Sergei outside, unsure of how to safely navigate their fractured relationship.

While searching for food, Pasha steals fish from Sergei and nearly chokes. The discovery of radiation contamination in the fish leads to a climactic moment of revelation between the two men, revealing deeper issues at play.

The rescue ship, The Academic, arrives, but Sergei surprisingly expresses a desire to remain on the island. This unexpected decision escalates the existing tensions and threatens Pasha's hope for escape.

In a tense standoff, Pasha threatens to expose all that has transpired if Sergei does not seek medical help. The situation culminates in a chilling confrontation that blurs the lines between survival and madness in their extreme isolation.