4 (aka 'Chetyre') by Ilya Khrjanovsky. R2 UK DVD April 24th 2006.

Here's one that appeared yesterday, yet again it's another announcement of a film on DVD that I've not seen appear in mentions of editions in other countries so this seems to be another first for the UK - it's Khrjanovsky's odd experimental nasty movie '4'. Unfortunately, according to the announcement, the disc is going to be a simple bare-bones, non-anamorphic, forced-subtitles edition - if you're particular about those kind of aspects, and remember these UK discs are relatively expensive compared to R1 USA discs, then I suggest holding off and waiting until nearer the date for any other possible editions to appear. [Source : DVDTimes].

Here's the synopsis from the ICA website which gives more information that Todd was initially able to provide; they're the ones issuing this disc, "Two men and a woman meet in a Moscow bar and weave extravagant lies about their lives and professions, setting in motion a ruthless, relentless three-lane journey into the dark, secret corners of modern Russia. Beginning with a jarring, dog-endangering prologue, this collaboration between controversial novelist/playwright Vladimir Sorokin and young Russian filmmaker Ilya Khrzhanovsky comes on like a film possessed, constantly morphing into surreal shapes as it careers through its different characters, styles and themes. Mass conformity, biological cloning and genetic manipulation represent the challenges to individual identity here, pushing humanity into the margins and distorting the world’s recognisable form. The resultant pile-up of nightmares — poetic, grotesque, perplexing — may seem random but Sorokin and Khrznavosky impose order on the disorder with their forceful formal authority; it’s quite clear that something is going on — that something is at stake — even if you don’t have a clue what it is. Impossible to classify or compare to other films, 4 stands alone as a radical, troubling, untamed and urgent vision." [Source : ICA].

'4' (aka 'Chetyre') Trailer (downloadable Quicktime, 5Mb).