The Duelist

On The Dark Side Of Honor

Directed by Aleksei Mizgiryov

Produced by Non-Stop Productions, Fetisoff Illusion

A 19th-century period drama about a morally compromised duellist whose mercenary detachment is disrupted by unexpected emotion and connection, exploring themes of honor, redemption, and the cost of a violent life.

Returning to Saint Petersburg after a long exile, the dashing Yakovlev, a retired army officer, makes a comfortable living by winning other people's duels. An enigmatic, focused, and extremely skilled professional, he leaves a trail of dead bodies behind him as he swirls through polite society, frequently called upon to wield a pistol as a surrogate in duels at dawn. But when Yakovlev meets the naïve young Prince Tuchov and his beautiful sister, Princess Martha, the normally cold-hearted mercenary is surprised by hitherto undetected emotions. What transpires uncovers a series of revelations about his past and his present self.