Inthebleakfilmscapeofglasnost,TheNeedlestoodoutasablacksheepofamovie.ThemostplayfulandoffbeatoftheSovietfilmsoftheperiod,itcontrastedsharplytothemainstream,whichwasoverwhelmedwithrevisionismoftheStalinistpastandnihilisticsocialcriticism.
Madein1988byayoungKazakhdirector,RashidNugmanov,freshoutofVGIK(thenationalfilmschool),TheNeedlewasapioneeringeffortinseveralways.Havingefromaremote,stagnantrepublicofKazakhstan,thepicturesetoffamovementthathasetobeknownasthequot;KazakhNewWave.quot;RepresentedbysuchworksasAlexanderBaranov#39;sandBakhytKilibayev#39;sTheThree(1988)andWomanoftheDay(1990);Kilibayev#39;sTheTick(1990);Baranov#39;sHeandShe(1990);AbaiKarpykov#39;sLittleFishinLove(1989);andSerikAprymov#39;sTheLastStop(1989),theKazakhNewWavewasfortheagonizingSovietfilmofthelate1980swhattheFrenchNewWavewasforthedustyFrenchfilmofthelate1950s.TheNeedlewasthemovement#39;saboutdesouffle.ThefilmalsobecameamodelfortheRussianversionofpostmodernism—uninhibitedanduninformed,pensatingforthelackofculture,skill,andresourceswithmischiefandwit.AyoungmannamedMoro(playedbyViktorTsoi,thelaterock#39;n#39;rolllegendfromtheSt.Petersburgbandquot;Kinoquot;)returnstohisAsiatichometownonlytofindhisexgirlfriend,Dina(MarinaSmirnova),beingadrugaddictandhimselfbeinginvolvedinthebizarrelifeofthecity#39;sunderworld.InanattempttosaveDina,MorotakesherawaytotheAralSea,turnedintoabarrendesertbythetimetheyarrive.ThereDinaseemscured,butbackintowneverythingstartsanew.Almostdesperate,Morodecidestofightthedrugdealers,ledbyahospitaldoctor(playedbyanotherrock#39;n#39;rollstar,eccentricleaderofthequot;SoundofMuquot;bandandthefuturestarofTaxiBlues,PyotrMamonov),whenoneofthemstabshiminadesertedpark.
