Andris Keišs

Russia, early 1990s. Amid post-Soviet chaos, a brilliant young man, Vadim Baranov, charts his path. First an artist, then a reality TV producer, he becomes the spin doctor to a rising KGB agent: Vladimir Putin. At the heart of power, Baranov shapes the new Russia, blurring the boundaries between truth and lies, belief and manipulation. Only the magnetic Ksenia is beyond his control, tempting him away from this dangerous game. Years later, after retreating into silence and shrouded in mystery, Baranov finally opens up, revealing the dark secrets of the regime he helped build.

The film follows the Maestro's work on the concert program "Shakespeare. Sonnets. Pauls. Busulis. Keišs" during rehearsals, radio recordings, and the premiere. The camera also follows Raimonds Pauls during the creation of the Midsummer Eve and Christmas programs, capturing the Maestro's insights, conversations with colleagues, instructions to young soloists and actors, and his inevitable jokes.