Description:

A literal-minded bureaucrat does exactly what his boss tells him to do. Based on Lazar Lagin's short story.

The first film by director Andrey Hrzhanovskiy, and his diploma work. Heavy on interesting visuals, but thin on plot; it actually only adapts the first few lines of the short story (which can be read in Russian here). The original text goes on to detail the subsequent institutional battle over Kozyavin and about his death during vacation because the fitness instructor forgets to instruct him to inhale again after exhaling.

The first video link is nicer and in the original frame rate (24fps). The second one is in the TV frame rate (25fps).