when they report alyosha's disappearance to the police, they aren't very interested.issing in russia all the time. translation: the police really just reflect the interests of the government, the people of power. when there is a tragic situation, people have to organise themselves, in order to help themselves. a volunteer organisation that helps investigate alyosha's disappearance is the one glimmer of hope in an otherwise relentlessly downbeat portrayal of russian life. translation: so it is a true group of volunteers, which operates in big cities in russia. it's a matter of principle for them that they don't take money, and they're not a government enterprise. zvyagintsev has been criticised in the past for casting russia in a negative light of the world stage. many felt his previous film, leviathan, about a man at the mercy of corrupt officials, was robbed of the palme d'or, when it played at cannes in 2014. but in russia, it was condemned by state officials, the russian orthodox church, and conservative groups. this time, andrey zvyagintsev is keen to soft—pedal t