A detective story with an incisive social commentary examines the issue concerning the violation of human rights by those in power and what the feeling of impunity can do to those who have sworn to protect people.
That day Sergey Sobolev, a police officer, is driving to the hospital where his wife is about to give birth to their child. High on happiness, he’s driving too fast and when he sees a boy on the pedestrian crossing, it’s too late. The boy dies, and now the major has only two options: either go to prison or conceal his crime. Sobolev decides to compromise with his conscience, and he calls on his friends from the police to help him. But the case turns out to be messy and he understands that this choice resulted in many people’s deaths. He finally changes his mind and tries to make up for his deed, but now he has to oppose the system which isn’t his ally any more.
“The problem of the law enforcement institutions system is not a problem of pravity or viciousness or certain people who, together with uniforms, wear the skin of cynicism and overindulgence. /.../ Whenever there is nepotism, clan system – say, only communal interests of a feudal and even primal structure, – in this system of coordinates there can be no civilized state institutions. Everyone will stand for his family, his friends, himself, and not for the truth and justice.” (Yuri Bykov)