Synopsis

Sergey, a 12 years old boy lives with his Grandpa in 1990s. He doesn’t remember his parents and lives with his invalid grandfather who stays in his wheel chair. Sergey has a dream to learn to tap-dance. At the daytime he works at a market, he carries goods, sweeps and washes. Although he doesn’t earn a lot, the grandfather is proud of him, because grandson earns his money in an honest way. He appreciates his grandson’s self-dependency and trusts him. Sergey is in love with Tanya, a prostitute whom he sees every day at the market. At the evenings the boy locks himself up in his room and learns to dance hard. Peace and harmony prevail in the house. But the outer world is different, and Sergey’s self-dependency and honesty are being doubted there. It hurts him. At the entrance exam at a dance school he bewilders and fails. The next disaster, his grandfather’s death, makes him flee from home and join a homeless children’s company. They live in a ruined house, they steal and are ready to do anything for a piece of food. But grandfather’s lessons weren’t lost for Sergey. After living through the first severe pain Sergey realizes that thus he betrays the memory of his grandfather. The boy returns home and gets back to work again. The last time we see him tap-dancing. He is putting into this dance all his pain and wish to live honestly and be trusted.