Synopsis
Charismatic, erratic, egocentric, almost forgotten…Sergej Tschachotin was a scientist of international repute, friend to Pavlov and Einstein, revolutionary and pacifist. His private life was changeful too: five marriages, eight sons. SERGEJ IN THE URN tells the story of Sergej Tschachotin’s epic existence - from 1883 to 1973 - through the memories of four of his sons. Speaking openly for the first time, they tell of Tschachotin’s role as a cancer researcher, his participation in anti-totalitarian propaganda movements, and his crusade against the arms race. But each son also exposes his conflicted relationship with a colossal fatherly shadow.
Filmmaker Boris Hars-Tschachotin, Sergej’s great-grandson, weaves together an intimate, tortured family saga that mirrors the myriad contradictions and possibilities of the 20th century. Seeking resolution, he attempts to reunite his scattered family in a small Corsican village to bury the ashes contained in Sergej’s urn. This story, however, like the painful period from Russian Revolution to the beginning of the 21st century it describes, could ultimately split apart.
original German/French/Russian version with German narrator and English or German subtitles
