Sunday, 25 October 2026 at 9 pm
Nochnoy dozor
Directed by: Timur Bekmambetov
Russia, 2004, Colour, 114'
Since time immemorial there have been the ‘Others’ – people endowed with supernatural abilities – and for just as long these Others have been divided into the forces of Light and Darkness. In the Middle Ages the armies of both sides accidentally clashed and a great battle began. Realising that neither side had a clear advantage, the leaders of the two factions, Geser and Zavulon, concluded a truce and each side established police forces charged with maintaining it; the forces of Light were named the Night Watch, and the forces of Darkness the Day Watch.
In Moscow in 1992, Anton Gorodetsky visits the witch Daria and asks her to cast a spell to return his wife, agreeing that as part of the process she will have an abortion of her own illegitimate child. Just as the spell is nearing completion, two people burst into the room and overpower Daria, preventing her from finishing it. When they realise that Anton can see them, they understand that he is one of the Others too…
Loosely based on the novel of the same name by Sergey Lukyanenko, Night Watch is a rare foray by Russian cinema into the fantasy horror genre. The film premiered in Russia at the Moscow International Film Festival, a Category A festival, and grossed almost $17 million in Russian cinemas, making it the most commercially successful Russian film of all time domestically. It also performed well in international distribution, particularly in the video market. The critical reception, however, was less enthusiastic than that of the audience; while praising the impressive visual style and special effects, it criticised the confusing narrative, giving the film an overall average rating. Night Watch was Russia's entry for the Academy Award, but it did not receive a nomination. Two years later, a sequel, Day Watch, was made by the same director, Timur Bekmambetov, who went on to pursue his career in American cinema, where, among other projects, he directed a new version of Ben-Hur in 2016.
Commentary by: Damir Radić
Tickets for the screening on 25 October 2026 at 9 pm can be purchased online HERE, as well as at the Surogatkino KIC box office one hour before the start.