Lenin Lives!

1924, Soviet Russia. Vladimir Lenin is dead — but the Party isn’t done with him yet. On the eve of Stalin’s arrival, two exhausted scientists scramble to preserve the decaying body of the Revolution. With their lives on the line, they discover that failure means execution — and that immortality is a grotesque, theatrical lie.

  • Slava Denisov
    Writer
    The Ride
  • Grigory Borodavkin
    Writer
    The Ride
  • Project Type:
    Short Script
  • Genres:
    Comedy, Drama
  • Number of Pages:
    17
  • Language:
    English
  • First-time Screenwriter:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Writer Biography - Slava Denisov, Grigory Borodavkin

Slava Denisov is a Los Angeles-based writer, director, and editor. Originally from Russia, he wrote and directed several award-winning short films and music videos before relocating to the U.S., where he built a successful career as an editor on studio and indie films, commercials, and short-form content. His latest directorial project, The Ride, is set to premiere in 2025.

Grigory Borodavkin is a Russian-born, English-speaking scriptwriter working in film and TV. A graduate of the New York Film Academy, he has written for international production companies across Russia, Ukraine, Israel, and the U.S. His credits include the TV series Era of the Bears and the animated project Mars Colony High. He is currently developing a horror feature and a TV show for Keshet (Israel).

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Writer Statement

Lenin Lives! offers a satirical, poignant view of a country on the brink of collapsing into totalitarianism and the mythmaking that goes hand in hand with forging ideology.

Echoing the current state of events in modern Russia and the world, this story is highlighting the absurdity of despotic regimes and the lengths they are willing t o go t o i n order t o make reality fi t their lies. The events take place i n 1924 just a s the newly established USSR i s primed t o be taken over by Joseph Stalin, the man that will squeeze his iron fist around the country's neck. In order to legitimize his power, Lenin's right-hand-man ordered the Chief's remains to be literally immortalized, effectively making Stalin the general - secretary of someone who will live forever. The two scientists charged with the task will have t o overcome their many differences and work
tirelessly under the all-seeing eye of the secret police, knowing that their lives depend on the sucsess of the illusion. Their very sanity will be called into question, a s the walls of the secret lab start closing in and visions of the famed revolutionary himself begin appearing before them.

The surreal process of convincing a nation that this hollow and decayed skinsuit is their saviour will become the source of a dark yet poignant humor and the laughs will come from pathologies both mental and physical.
re is urgency in telling this story as today we witness events that echo the many tragedies of a century we believed had passed. The lies I propaganda techniques of the totalitarians have made a dramatic comeback as have their methods. Taking a satirical view of problems that tragically persist today we aim t o dispel the fear autocrats and thugs want to instill in all o f us.

The creators behind this story carry with them experiences unique to the country and region as Grigory as forced to flee Kiev, that was under siege during the recent events in Ukraine. Slava made the decision to immigrate to the United States in the mid 2010s, when the regime began t o transition into full authoritarianism, limiting speech and going after the opposition.