Welcome, or No Trespassing

Welcome, or No Trespassing, is a true cult classic by the amazing director, Elem Klimov, of Come and See fame. Actually, amazingly this movie was Klimov’s first feature film and the diploma work that he submitted for his film school graduation.

Non-Russians are often surprised to hear that Welcome, or No Trespassing is a more famous and beloved movie in the former Soviet Union than Come and See. Much more lighthearted than that NSFL WWII epic, Welcome, or No Trespassing is a hilarious comedy about life in the Soviet pioneer (scouts) summer camps for kids in the mid-1960s.

Full of political satire on the frustrating mindgames of the Khrushchev era, the film was almost never released. While Klimov and his crew were busy filming in the south of Russia, they received a telegram from the State Committee for Cinematography demanding they halt the production. Nevertheless, Klimov persisted in his project and claimed to never have received such a message.

However, when the film was first screened to the film school commission, it was met with silence and accusations of being anti-Soviet. Such a bleak reception surely would have destined the film for a dusty life on the storage shelves of the state film archives. An unlikely savior, though, appeared in Khrushchev himself, a man who knew how to laugh at himself. With these exact words he gifted us all this incredible film and helped kick off Klimov extraordinary and sometimes controversial career.  

“Why are you keeping this film? It’s ridiculous, after all, let it be distributed!”

«А чего вы этот фильм держите? Смешно ведь, пускайте в прокат!»

Khrushchev comments on Welcome, or No Trespassing

Though he has never officially admitted it, it is 100% clear that the famed whimsical director, Wes Anderson, completely and utterly ripped off the style and substance of Welcome, or No Trespassing. From his copying of camera work, storytelling devices, and charming whimsy, fans of Anderson’s work would surely love to watch this Soviet cult classic and may even re evaluate some of Anderson’s seeming uniquness.

• 1960s
• English subtitles
• Soviet Union