They're Calling, Open the Door () is a Soviet feature film of 1965 directed by

Alexander Mitta Alexander Naumovich Mitta (; born 28 March 1933 in Moscow) is a Soviet Union, Soviet and Russian film director, screenwriter and actor. Mitta's birth name was Alexander Naumovich Rabinovich (). He studied engineering (graduated in 1955), then wor ...

, the debut of the twelve-year-old Elena Proklova in the cinema. A fifth-grade student, Tanya ( Elena Proklova), is in love with the pioneer leader Petya (

Sergey Nikonenko Sergei Petrovich Nikonenko (; born 16 April 1941 in Moscow) is a Soviet and Russian actor, a film director and a screenwriter. He was awarded with People's Artist of the RSFSR (1991). He performed in more than eighty films since 1961. Selected ...

), who is teased by one of her classmates. Tanya's father is a geologist, and her mother left for a while to see her husband; Tanya lives alone under the supervision of a neighbor in a communal apartment. To please the pioneer leader, she takes part in the search for an interesting person, one of the first soviet pioneers.

Plot

Fifth-grader Tanya (played by Elena Proklova) has a crush on her school’s senior Pioneer leader, tenth-grader Petya (played by Sergey Nikonenko). Her classmates tease her relentlessly for her feelings. Tanya's father, a geologist, is away on an expedition, and her mother has temporarily joined him, leaving Tanya under the care of a neighbor. Determined to impress Petya, Tanya immerses herself in school community activities and is assigned the task of finding an “interesting person” — one of the first pioneers. During her search, Tanya meets her peer Genka (played by Viktor Kosykh) and his eccentric stepfather Pavel Vasilyevich Kolpakov (played by Rolan Bykov), who offers to help. Kolpakov introduces her to a renowned musician, Korkin, who agrees to attend the school event dedicated to the first pioneers but forgets as his concert tour approaches. Meanwhile, Tanya notices Petya holding a pair of skates and persuades Genka to teach her how to skate. During a trip to the rink, she sees Petya with a classmate, leaving her heartbroken. She retreats home, only to find her mother has unexpectedly returned. When Korkin's absence at the event is revealed, Tanya sees it as poetic justice for Petya, whom she now views as disloyal. With the gathering approaching, she seeks out Kolpakov for advice, and he shares a moving story about a young bugler, a pioneer hero who lived next door to him and inspired his career as a professional musician. Tanya convinces Kolpakov to attend the event and share his story. However, when she asks Petya for permission to let Kolpakov speak, he refuses, adhering strictly to protocol. This final act of rigidity leads Tanya to lose faith in him entirely. At the gathering, the bugler’s performance falters, and Kolpakov steps in unexpectedly, captivating the audience with his tale of the young pioneer bugler who tragically died during World War II. The emotional story leaves the students and Petya deeply moved, as the Pioneer leader hurriedly takes notes in his notebook. Kolpakov concludes by playing a stirring tune on his bugle, filling the hall with powerful, resonant sound and leaving an indelible impression on everyone present.

Cast

* Elena Proklova as Tanya Nechaeva *

Rolan Bykov Rolan Antonovich Bykov (October 12, 1929October 6, 1998) was a Soviet and Russian stage and film actor, director, screenwriter and pedagogue. People's Artist of the USSR (1990). Early life Rolan Bykov was born to Anton Mikhailovich Bykov and Ol ...

as Pavel Vasilievich Kolpakov *

as Petya Kryuchkov * Vladimir Belokurov as violinist Korkin * Viktor Kosykh as Genka *

Valentina Vladimirova Valentina Kharlampiyevna Vladimirova (; 22 November 1927, in Vasylivka – 23 March 1994, in Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (r ...

as watchman in theater *

Oleg Yefremov Oleg Nikolayevich Yefremov (; 1 October 1927 – 24 May 2000) was a Soviet and Russian actor and Moscow Art Theatre producer. He was a People's Artist of the USSR (1976) and a Hero of Socialist Labour (1987). In 1949, he graduated from Moscow A ...

as Vasily Dresvyannikov *

Lyusyena Ovchinnikova Lyusyena Ivanovna Ovchinnikova (; 10 September 1931 – 8 January 1999) was a Soviet film actress. She appeared in more than 30 films between 1959 and 1993. She is an Merited Artist of the Russian Federation (1973).Iya Savvina Iya Sergeyevna Savvina (; 2 March 1936 – 27 August 2011) was a Soviet film actress who was named a People's Artist of the USSR in 1990.

as Genka's mother *

Vladimir Balon Vladimir Yakovlevich Balon (; 23 February 1937,Фехтование: энциклопедия: А-Я / Федерация фехтования России; авт.-сост. М. Ракита, В. Штейнбах; под общ. ред. Д. А. � ...

as teacher of fencing *

Yekaterina Vasilyeva Yekaterina Sergeyevna Vasilyeva (; born 15 August 1945 in Moscow) is a Soviet and Russian theater and film actress. She performed in more than ninety films since 1967. Vasilyeva was married to the late director Sergei Solovyov and playwright ...

as physical education teacher *

Klara Rumyanova Klara Mikhailovna Rumyanova (; 8 December 1929 – 18 September 2004) was a Soviet and Russian actress, voice actress and singer. She was active from 1951 to 1999. Her childlike and endearing voice was easily recognized by generations of Soviet ...

as Klara Mikhailovna * Andrei Smirnov as tenant *

Pavel Lebeshev Pavel Timofeevich Lebeshev (; 15 February 1940, in Moscow – 23 February 2003, in Moscow«� ...

as Petya Kryuchkov's neighbor

Awards

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival (, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival held in Venice, Italy. It is the world's oldest film festival and one of the ...

: Lion of San Marco — Grand Prize (Alexander Mitta) *

Mosfilm Mosfilm (, ''Mosfil’m'' , initialism and portmanteau of Moscow Films) is a film studio in Moscow which is among the largest and oldest in the Russian Federation and in Europe. Founded in 1924 in the USSR as a production unit of that nation's fi ...

Award An award, sometimes called a distinction, is given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration. An award may be d ...

: Best Actress (Elena Proklova)They're Calling, Open the Door
at the kino-teatr.ru

References

External links

* 1965 films 1965 drama films Soviet black-and-white films Soviet children's films Soviet drama films Films based on Russian novels Films set in schools Mosfilm films Films directed by Alexander Mitta 1960s Russian-language films 1960s Soviet films {{1960s-drama-film-stub