Kin Dza Dza takes a Russian bent on the dark comedic satire, making the most of post-war Soviet social oppression and dissent in a really surprising way, by turning it into great science fiction.  Released a year after Terry Gilliam's Brazil, which is gleefully grotesque and whimsical by turn, Kin Dza Dza maintains a bleak and creaky attitude, the stoic characters slowly unpacking a cultural farce that may not be as foreign as it seems, while journeying into a scoured landscape of industrial ghost towns.  The production is at times budget, yet the directing rationale is always endearing, and the mood recalls some of the resigned spareness and ingenuity  of the sci-fi russian greats if not the elegance. Directed by Georgi Daneliya and scored by Giya Kancheli.

See Kin Dza Dza for sure! Koo!

While not entirely essential, it is helpful to know the origins of this clip below, which comes from the film, Kotovsky (Котовский), made in 1942-1943 by Alexander Fainzimmer and scored by Sergei Prokofiev.  Kotovsky, the man 1881-1925, was a Russian revolutionary, a kind of militaristic Robin Hood who deserted the army, stole from the coffers of the Tsars and became a Bolshevik hero.  The song reminds me of something from my early piano books but I can't pin down the provenance.  I wouldn't be surprised if it was a folk classic, but that's all just conjecture.  Apparently, the early propaganda film, the song, and the Georgian title are familiar to a Russian audience, so the irony of Kin Dza Dza has made the film a beloved cult classic, and it's really easy to see why.