Olympus Inferno (Олимпиус Инферно / Olimpius Inferno)

I just arrived, I was in Moscow.

It settled down now.

No, probably not today: I promised I'd be home today.

What did you want?

Not now, ok? I really can't speak to you at the moment.

No, I'm at the TV station.

What actor? No, I wrote the script myself. Bye.

Hi. Take a seat.

When will we film the movie?

That's a mighty story, alright.

Tell me, though, is it all true?

True? The truth is much uglier.

When did you meet them?

About 3 days before the war.

Moscow. Press Bureau. Aug. 6, 2008. - So you want to go to South Ossetia?

Well, yeah: you get your coverage and I'll get my term paper.

LA, US State Department. Aug. 6, 2008. South Ossetia? I think that's in Georgia.

Yeah, you'll need to get a Georgian visa and then fly to Tbilisi.

To I go their through Tbilisi?

If they find out you're a journalist you won't get your visa.

Fly to Vladikavkaz instead and then to Tskhinvali.

- I don't have a travel passport. - Take your state ID, it should suffice.

US citizens travelling to that region are advised to get 12 vaccines.

Where should I get them?

Some in the shoulder, some... lower.

- Shit, I can't stand injections. - And what about dysentery?

And the vaccines?

What vaccines? Just don't go drinking from rain pools.

Ok, and what kind of currency do they have there?

I suppose euro. They all have euro over there.

I think even in Ukraine.

Georgia... no, it says here they have something called 'lari'.

They have lari there, don't they?

What lari? Who needs them? Take rubles with you and you'll be all set.

What are you going there for?

'Olympius Inferno'.

You speak Georgian?

It's Latin. It's the name of the butterfly I intend to catch.

Excuse me, you want to catch what there?

I'm an entomologist. I have a university grant

to collect butterflies and shoot a documentary about them.

Are your parents aware of where you're going?

Do I need to get their written permission?

I'm just asking. You're old enough to do weird stuff on your own.

Are you going alone?

No, with a childhood friend.

You know, the men in Caucasus - they're... I travelled there

at the times of the USSR.

Would I want to make you a company...

No, thanks, I'll be fine on my own.

You'll get your documents at our office in Vladikavkaz.

- Well, have a nice trip. - Thank you.

Here are the lists of addresses. Should you need any assistance

call our embassy, they'll help you out. Have a great trip.

Thanks a lot.

OLYMPIUS INFERNO

Say 'cheese', guys.

One-two... Okey, thanks.

Can I take a picture of you, please?

Great.

He looks like a normal guy, what does he need butterflies for?

Does he speak Russian at all?

He did, when I spoke to him on the phone.

He moved when we were in 8th grade.

Mishka! How long do we have to wait for you?

Hi.

Zhenka...

You didn't expect me to grow into a woman?

You know what? No, I didn't: I though you're

a six-foot african American.

Shall we kiss?

- Hi. - Hi.

This is Viktor Andreyich, peackeepers colonel.

Hello, Michael. - Nice to meet you.

Ahsar here will be our guide.

Nice to meet you. I spoke on the phone with your main office, and they

told me you're the best specialist. - No need for formalities.

Let me help you. - Thank you.

Do you still have war here?

Yes, in the morning they've repelled a tank division, but we expect

them to attack again in the evening. Aren't you aware of it?

Our State Dept. didn't warn me.

The war ceased over 15 years ago.

A war with whom?

With the Georgians. And here they come.

Hi, everyone!

The wine's on me. - Thank you, Vaho.

Nowadays everyone lives peacefully here and we help to keep it that way.

How do you expect to be friends with them?

They don't like to work, drink wine in the morning.

And you don't?

- Going over to Ahsar's national park? - Yep.

I can take you wherever you want.

No, thanks.

I'll be your guide for a modest fee.

Thanks.

Planning to do some filming?

A scientific research.

Well, I won't go taking his bread.

Well, we're not saying farewell yet.

You still haven't told me about your wife.

It'll take some three days next time we meet.

Are you certain there won't be any shooting here?

Don't worry. They won't shoot you, that's certain.

- Thank you, goodbye. - Bye.

Maybe we should've hired that other guy.

He would've carried the equipment. Would it cost a lot?

- Mikey. - Half of your belongings.

He says he's here to earn money: his family's in Georgia.

He sells everything, he'd even sell his own mother.

All Georgians are normal, but this one's kind of strange.

I caught him a couple of times in the national park.

He doesn't look like a poacher. Who knows what

he's been searching for?

Do you have normal roads over here?

What?

Hi, how's your wife and children?

Fine, and yours?

Everything's perfect.

Madam.

How's the wine?

Fantastic wine.

Pour in some more.

Michael. - No-no.

C'mon, the car will stop working.

Let's go.

Enjoy your stay. Say hi to your wife.

Who was that? A relative of yours?

No idea, I saw him for the first time.

Hello. - My wife, Saira.

Michael, Zhenya. - Nice to meet you.

Bad sign: the Georgians are leaving.

Perhaps, they're leaving for a weekend.

With the belongings? I'm afraid they might start bombardments again.

Where are they going? What did she say?

She says it's a tradition for entire Georgian families to visit the weddings.

I'm fine. - Are you ok?

Sorry, dear, it's the kids. They're off to see granddad

and we're still stumbling on their stuff.

How many kids to you have? - Three.

We have a tradition: three pies

should be on the table to symbolize sun, water and earth.

To the Almighty! Let St. George keep us safe.

To our meeting and your visit.

You don't like araka?

Ahsar, we need to get to the park. Let's go.

Finish your drink and we'll go.

Let's go! - Quite, they're showing Saakashvili.

Who is it? - You don't know? It's the king of Spain.

No way. - It's Georgian president.

...and the Russian party will monitor the status of Ossetian autonomy.

Thank God. No more war.

Do you trust him?

Whe else can we trust? Our children

are taught to hide in the basement when they hear loud banging.

Let's drink to peace, to kids growing up without war.

A marvelous toast!

To peaceful skies above our heads.

We should be going to the park.

You're such a pain in the neck.

C'mon, let's go.

...less than a day remaining before the openning ceremony for the Olympics,

but new records have already been set: these Olympics are the most expensive...

Hey, Jess, honey.

No, I'm fine, my voice is ok. I'm not ill.

Listen... maybe, I thought, you know...

maybe we should announce our engagement as soon as I come back.

We'll throw a barbecue party, we'll call all the friends.

No formal suits or restaurants. And please, let's not ask mom.

Think about it. No... I just can't right now.

I'll call you later. Yeah, of course I love you.

I miss you too, bye.

So, let's ride, groom?

Let's ride.

Why there're always fighting going on in the Caucasus?

You just can't be waging war here.

Mishka.

I know now why your olymplus-plimplus inhabits these places.

An ideal place.

Why did you bring all that junk with you?

What are you going to do to this poor butterfly?

We'll cut its feet and dry it in the oven. Is that so, Mike?

No, Zhenya. I'll collect them and make a documentary.

You'll be climbing mountains like a mountain goat?

It's much simpler than that.

Come.

It's very hard to film night butterflies.

Olympius inferno flies with speed of up to 50 km/h.

We'll set up the cameras in places of their likely appearance,

it'll be triggered by movement

which will bring picture in focus. Can you please hold it for me?

The image is transferred to the receiver and saved on a hard drive.

Over here.

And then it comes up on the screen. So that we can see what's being shot.

Marvelous.

The hard disk can store hundreds of hours of footage.

Thank you.

That's it.

Now we just need to set up the cameras.

Can't we do it in the morning?