The Scoundrel (Merzavets)

The Scoundrel (Yaramaz) is a full-length Soviet film shot in Baku in 1988. Directed by Vagif Mustafayev, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ramiz Fataliyev, the 90-minute production was made by the Azerbaijanfilm studio and blends drama with tragicomedy.

The film exposes the corruption and decadence of the late Soviet bureaucracy in the Azerbaijan SSR through the eyes of a naive Azerbaijani man, Hatem. The lead role is played by Georgian actor Mamuka Kikaleishvili, while the cast also includes Rasim Balayev, Yashar Nuri, Hasanagha Turabov, Melik Dadashev, Muxtar Maniyev, Chingiz Mustafayev and Brilliant Dadaşova. Filmed in Russian and Azerbaijani, the picture offers a satirical look at the social decay of the Perestroika era.