- So nice to see you.
- Nice to see you.
Alexander, they're all downstairs by now.
Katya always does this.
Of course she does.
I need to use the bathroom.
I'll meet you downstairs.
Directive 12.
What?
No member of the Soviet delegation
may be left alone in American soil.
Well can I shut the door?
- Hopefully we see each other in two years in Moscow.
- Yup, alright.
There you are.
What a moment for us, Sasha.
I'm proud of you.
Oh you too, Oleg.
I'd like to extend our heartfelt welcome
to our Soviet guests.
What I see here tonight leads
me to feel great hope
for the future.
To peace and warmth between our great nations.
To peace!
To peace!
Alexander Ivanov.
Department of Foreign Affairs.
Jackie Haven.
State department.
I can make coffee too.
- Oh, I am so sorry.
- Go and change.
I cannot believe I did that.
I have instructions.
After the first course,
get to the kitchen, end of the main corridor.
Take a breath.
This is what you wanted.
There's no deal without my wife.
Just keep your head.
It's so lovely to meet you.
Oh she's not as pretty as Katya.
- Champagne?
- Nobody is.
Cheers!
Nostrovia!
I love you, Katyusha.
I love you, Sasha.
Always remember it.
Toilet, comrade?
On your left.
Thank you.
Sasha, wait for me.
- No!
- Get in the car.
Sasha!
It's over.
You're free.
What about Katya?
- Katya, my wife.
- We've lost contact with her.
No, I've to go back
- Stop the car! I have to go back.
- Alexander!
Stop the car!
You can never go back.
It's hard to imagine that the
Soviet Union no longer exists.
The Soviet Union that we all fear
throughout the cold war,
country where Soviets themselves
suffered under brutal communist regimes.
Now, in the wake of Glasnost,
there's a spirit of openness and
excitement on the streets of Moscow.
Travel to Russia has become easier for tour...
This our latest product launch.
- Approved.
- Good?
No, no, no.
It'd be good if you came into the
office once in a while.
I did build this company for you, you know that.
And your exhibition? You ready?
You look like you did when you're about 15 and
lying to me about a party you're going to.
Well I'm not 15 anymore.
Uncle Alex...
I've decided to go to Moscow.
I have worked my whole life for an
exhibition this big.
Russia is not safe.
Yeah, for you maybe
but communism is over.
- I won't allow it, Lauren.
- You won't allow it?
My whole family comes from there.
You come from there.
My father comes from there
my aunt Katya comes from there.
- I want to know what happened?
- What happened is that we all left.
Except Katya.
When your mother and father died
and you are very small,
I had to look forward.
Forward, Lauren, not back.
- The past is dead.
- Yes sure, but you kept on thinking about it.
You think about it all the time,
you pretend not to think about it.
Yeah, I think about my work and I
also think about you.
Everytime you look at me you see Katya,
what happened to her?
I don't know what happened to her.
Don't you understand, I don't know.
Now, can we have dinner?
I'm not hungry.
- Thank you.
- Good evening sir.
Sorry I'm late, Misha.
- You're busy running the country?
- I try my best.
Slam it harder.
There we go.
Everything in the Soviet Union responds better
to brute force.
Sasha, this isn't a Kremlin boardroom.
I'll get you a drink.
I think he's fine.
Can I get you a drink?
Yes.
Two glasses?
Don't you even think about it.
You like her?
She's not going to be the perfect
Kremlin wife for you, my friend.
Her parents were dissidents.
Times are changing, Misha.
What is it?
You have the most beautiful girl in
the room waiting for you.
Should we really be talking politics?
The music reminds you of your childhood?
My mother used to play this on the piano.
I'm Alexander Ivanov.
Katya Grinkova.
What do you do?
I'm a school administrator.
And you?
Senior assistant to the third deputy
minister of foreign affairs.
Do you like your work?
- Yes.
- Passionately?
- I want to make a difference.
- To whom?
To as many people as I can.
That's why I chose politics.
It was my father.
He started me on my career.
And how would you find your passion in life
if you're following your father's dream?
Here.
Would you care to dance?
I'm leaving.
Thank you.
Well, can I see you home?
I have my roommate here.
But thank you...
Alexander.
What did you eat?
Only what you bought me from the canteen.
Well it can't possibly be,
I had the same.
You look rough.
I can't believe women
actually find you charming.
I had too much
to drink last night.
Hmm. You were all over Alexander.
I haven't seen you like that before.
You still haven't.
You're imagining it.
Am I?
You know what to do.
Be careful.
Come on, hurry up.
Come on!
What happened?
They came back.
They forgot their cigarettes.
I'll organize
a new drop point soon.
In the meantime,
we can talk about Alexander.
He's in a useful position.
- Then why don't you...
- Mmm. Mmm-mmm.
He'd figure it out.
But with you...
With you, it would be different.
Katya, you're risking
your life as a courier.
It's time to do more.
If you really want
to help the Americans.
Good.
Start slow.
Get to know him first.
Let him trust you.
Do you think
it'll all be ready by tonight?
I hope so.
- Oh, someone wants to interview you.
- Really? Who?
Marina Rinskaya,
my best political journalist.
Anti-corruption.
Um, what does she want with me?
Oh, don't worry. I'm sure she'll be easier on
you than she is on the people she writes about.
Tell me why a political journalist
is interested in art.
Maybe for the same
reasons you are.
Why?
I think art describes something that
we can't always put into words.
Which is your work?
Hi.
It's breathtaking.
I thought for a moment...
- What?
- That it was you.
But this must be Katya.
How did you know that?
I know something
about your uncle's story.
He's not here with you?
I'm sorry, are you going to interview me
about my work or my family?
Why not both?
How about over dinner?
Unless you have
someone with you.
No, I'm alone.
I guess I haven't
met the right woman yet.
Good morning.
What's the matter, Svetlana?
I know we have orders, but getting rid of
all these perfectly good textbooks
just because they praise
comrade Stalin too much...
I know. It's unbelievable, isn't it?
- He cut his knee.
- Good morning, miss.
That'll teach him
to run when he should walk.
- Does it hurt?
- Yes, miss.
Now, this might sting a bit.
Sorry.
Are you sure you wouldn't rather teach?
Thank you, miss.
Blank young minds,
ready to be filled with duty.
I like the office work.
I'm glad you came.
How many people live here?
Just me.
I've been thinking a lot about what you
said the night we met
About dreams.
I couldn't imagine a world
with so many choices.
But then I thought, if I had to choose,
other than politics,
it would be cooking.
Inventing new tastes,
new textures.
Is that important?
I mean, it's only.. pleasure.
I have never eaten
like that before.
I grew up thinking
food was just.. fuel.
- Where did you grow up?
- Here, in Moscow.
In many different apartments.
Different families.
What happened
to your parents, Katya?
Nothing more than what happened to
millions of families.
They were anti-Stalinists
and open about it.
They were punished
for their opinions.
Everybody was.
And what is your opinion now?
Now, I'm a proud communist.
Crimes of one man don't negate
a whole ideology, do they?
How old were you?
Eleven.
- I'm so sorry, Katya.
- No.
- Katya...
- It's late.
- I'll take you home.
- No. Thank you.
Yuri! Yuri!
No!
Mama!
Mama!
You know, Marina was the one who
told me about your work.
If it wasn't for her,
you wouldn't be here.
- I had to see it again.
- Didn't know you recommended me to the gallery.
Does it matter?
I thought I was
here on merit.
Nadia makes her own decisions.
I just recommended you after
I saw you in the newspaper.
You get American
newspapers here?
You can get most things
if you know where to look.
How is your uncle feeling
about you being here?
Well, he's not happy.
But I want to find out
more about Katya for myself.
Why?
She was a spy.
You might need some help.
It's only bad when you're tired.
And in a bloody arms race with the
Americans, when am I not tired?
- What does the doctor say?
- He says there's nothing to be done.
And now reading's a problem,
and, in five years, I won't be able to
see my own hand in front of my face.
I need your help.
Read these tonight and tell me about them
in the morning. All right?
I'm not cleared
for these files.
Who can I ask
if not you, Sasha?
Who is this girl
you're seeing?
Um, you mean Katya. She's... Well, it's only
been a couple of times.
Four..
Parents shot as dissidents.
Brother Yuri went with a dance troupe
to America and never came back.
She deserves to be judged
on her own merits.
That's very modern
of you, Sasha.
Luckily, she was head of
her pioneer brigade at school.
Denounced her father
in writing when asked.
Mmm, hasn't put
her foot wrong.
- Will that be all, sir?
- Mmm, yes, yes.
Watch where you're going!
- You okay?
- Yeah.
- We're closed.
- I have clearance for extra research time.
I'll tell my daughter I met you.
We read all your articles.
We need 1961. KGB.
Thirty minutes.
Do you really think they would have
documented what happened to Katya?
Hard to know.
Do these names mean
anything to you?
- "Andrei Gorodovsky, dead 1961."
- No.
- "Anna Petrova," also dead.
- No.
- "Mikhail Ardonov..."
- Wait, "Ardonov"?
My uncle's best friend
was Misha Ardonov.
"Misha" is the diminutive
for "Mikhail."
According to this, he was the
leader of Katya's spy cell,
and he's still alive.
- Oh, just play, Misha.
- Mmm-mmm.
Genius can't be rushed, my friends.
- Checkmate.
- Ah...
I didn't want to embarrass
him in front of you.
Oh, very kind, Misha.
You hungry?
Very.
Again?
Thinking up some new chess moves?
He's good at chess.
What about other things?
You need to be careful, Katya.
You start off playing a role, and suddenly it
doesn't feel like acting anymore.
He's nice.
It makes it easier.
A little easier.
I think it's time you took something from him.
It's too early.
I thought blind Dmitri gave him papers
to read every night.
- Sometimes.
- Good. Well, take whatever he brings next time.
Photograph it. You remember it if you have to.
Hungry?
Mmm. Starving.
What is the maestro chef cooking today?
A chicken.
Hardly anyone
can buy a whole chicken.
I know, but I wanted
you to have it.
Please don't make me feel guilty
for wanting to buy you things.
How was work today?
You make me look at things
differently, Katya.
All I do is push paper from one side
of my desk to the other. I don't...
I don't really help anyone.
I understand.
Just give me a minute.
Go, then.
Leave me if you must.
Katya?
Coming.
Are you sure?
Oh, yes.
I love you, Katya.
And the address?
Perfect. Thanks.
Misha was living in the north
until two years ago.
Now he's back in Moscow.
He's back.
Shut up!
So, Marina let somebody hug her!
Miracles happen.
Can I make a call from here?
The queue at the hotel is impossible,
and I have to tell him.
- Your uncle?
- Mmm-hmm.
Give me the number. I'll try it for you.
Thanks.
No answer.
Okay.
Why don't you write a note, and I'll have
one of the guys, uh, fax it tonight.
Okay, sure.
Thanks.
Thank you for helping me today.
It's a long time since
I spent a day with anyone.
Except at work.
Don't you have any friends?
I'm used to being alone.
You like that one?
I... I didn't mean...
If you like it.
Thank you.
I should go. It's late.
You're welcome to stay. You know, if you want
a break from being alone.
Can we go and see Misha
tomorrow morning?
Yes.
Thank you, Marina.
I owe you.
Thank you.
SHOULDN'T YOU HAVE THE COURAGE TO LEARN
THE TRUTH ABOUT YOUR PAST,
INSTEAD OF SENDING YOUR NIECE?
MARINA.
- You all right, Katyusha?
- Yes.
You look sad.
It's 15 years ago today.
Your parents.
How could Stalin get away
with that for so long?
I want to make sure
it can't happen again.
Katya...
Everybody will be looking at the bride,
Sasha, not at you.
Good morning, comrade.
Where do we get married?
Should we get to know
each other first?
If you like.
Upstairs and right.
Thank you.
Go give him the flower
And tell him, she's coming.
Thank you, my little one.
Uncle Sasha, Papa says she's coming.
I can't do it, Misha.
I don't want to lie to him.
What's happened to you?
They shot your mother and your father
through the head.
They shot them and left you with no one!
I always thought I'd end up
with someone like you.
Someone on our side,
not theirs.
- You chose to do this.
- Oh.
And you can't let it go.
I wish you would just
leave me alone, Misha.
Find some other man to ruin because
I won't ruin him.
You change your mind?
Never.
We are going to be
so happy, Sasha.
Despite everything.
Despite what, Katyusha?
No, no, no.
You can't kiss yet.
You stood me up.
I just want Misha's address.
That's all.
What is going on?
Isn't it a bit early
for a drink?
Is that any of your concern?
I'm glad you like it.
Just leave.
Look at me.
Why didn't you come
to me today?
Mikhail Ardonov?
We're just doing
some research.
Where are you from?
- America.
- Wow!
Land of the free.
So, what are you
researching?
I'm Lauren Grinkova.
I want to ask you
about Katya,
my aunt.
I'm her brother
Yuri's daughter.
I don't remember anything
about those days.
You were running her as a spy.
Remember that?
My uncle doesn't know
what happened to her.
He left her here.
That's what happened.
So you do remember?
So what happened to Sasha?
He made money.
He has Lauren...
Imagine being him,
Mr. Ardonov.
Imagine the love of your life gone,
and spending every day blaming
yourself for her death.
Don't touch her.
You should tell the truth.
No one can hurt you anymore.
The truth?
The truth is I risked my neck
every day for 10 years,
trying to smuggle
the same secrets
as Alexander handed over
to the Americans in one go!
And in return, he gets to live a wonderful
life in the land of opportunity,
and I get nothing!
Please, if you want to talk,
you can reach me at this gallery.
Get out! Get out!
Let's wait for Sasha.
Is he getting
on your nerves yet?
You need to find someone
to fall in love with, Misha.
Just because you're happy
and in love, Katya,
doesn't mean the world
is the same.
Sasha's higher up the ranks.
I need you back.
I won't betray him.
But you already did.
Before you were married.
Imagine how he'd feel
if he found out.
Now, I'm going to leave
something with you.
You pass it on
tomorrow after work.
You still do want to make a difference,
don't you, Katya?
Here's Sasha.
Happy anniversary, my friend.
Where were you?
At school. Finishing up.
We have the opera tonight
What is it?
I just need to get changed.
There they are.
Oh. Hey!
Uncle Sasha, you came!
Hello.
She's been asking
for you, Sasha.
Where were you?
I was late back from work, Dmitri.
I'm sorry.
Congratulations on being chosen for
the American delegation.
My recommendation.
Thank you, sir.
Uh, we shall be rooming
together in New York.
Oh, let's hope
you don't snore, Oleg.
Come on. Grab hold.
Don't want you to go, Papa.
Everything I do, I do for you,
my precious one.
What's the matter?
You haven't said ten words to me all day.
Sasha...
What is it, my love?
I have to work late tomorrow.
- Good morning.
- Good morning.
What is it?
We're leaking
information at work.
It's been a while. I think
it's someone on the inside.
- You told Dmitri?
- I've told everyone.
When they find who it is,
they'll kill them, you know.
It's treason, Katya.
We're heading to a peace delegation
to the United States.
And in the meantime, they're stealing
our information.
They're laughing at us!
We will do everything we can
to find this person, sir.
But in the meantime...
Search all of us, search our families, everything.
We have nothing to hide.
We will, Sasha.
What's the matter, Katyusha?
It's snowing.
Katya?
Sasha...
I haven't been honest with you.
How?
You know, when my parents
were murdered...
I worked so hard to prove
I was a model communist.
I know it wasn't easy.
No, it was the hardest thing
I've ever done
because, actually, I hated
the system that killed my mother and
my father and left me with no one.
I always knew I wanted
to fight the system.
I'm an agent.
I work for the Americans,
and I have done, for years.
You're a spy?
Is this a joke?
So that's why you married me?
No.
No, Sasha, I swear.
No, Sasha...
Sasha, please. Don't!
What's the matter?
Lauren, there's something
I haven't told you.
Are you gonna break my heart?
Uncle Alex.
What are you doing here?
I had to come.
This is Marina.
She's a wonderful journalist.
I don't know who you are or what you want,
but you stay away from my niece.
- Uncle Alex...
- No, Lauren. No, no, no.
Don't you remember me,
Uncle Sasha?
Do you remember Dmitri?
He was my father.
You're Dmitri's daughter.
When you defected, they hanged him.
I was seven.
Oh, God.
I... I didn't know
You didn't think for a moment
about anyone but yourself.
I was trying to save Katya.
I'm sorry.
Really, I'm... I'm very sorry.
I waited a long time to hear that.
Marina...
This is what I wanted to tell you.
Get out.
Lauren...
Get out.
I'm so sorry.
Oh, God.
I didn't know who she was.
What have I done?
Are you following me?
Yes.
- I want to explain.
- What?
That you used me?
Lauren, I was a girl with
a father who adored her.
And then I was an orphan
that no one wanted.
That happened
because Alexander defected.
Yeah, well, that regime was brutal
And it punished a lot of wrong people.
But you planned this
to the last detail.
Do you have any goddamn idea
how humiliating that is?
Lauren, I wanted to
tell you the truth.
I never wanted
to hurt you, Lauren.
Well, you did.
Deeply.
I'm sorry about your father.
I love you, Sasha.
I chose to tell you.
Please, can you walk with me?
So?
I married you because
I fell in love with you.
I... I gave up the work I was doing.
I see.
So you just changed your mind after a while?
I was blackmailed.
They said, if I didn't start again,
they would tell you everything.
I couldn't bear losing you.
I couldn't lie to you anymore, Sasha.
Because of me, they're looking for you.
I'll cancel my trip.
No, you can't do that.
They'll know something was wrong.
They're ruthless,
and they'll find you.
I never wanted you to suffer.
Then you should have given me the
choices you fight so hard for
because I believed
in this country.
Sasha, if you go to New York,
we have a chance.
You'll be out of here,
and I can join you.
They will help me out.
They will get me out of here,
if I give them your information.
Please. We could leave this place.
You want me to defect?
If we stay, they'll find me.
And they'll blame you.
We'll both hang.
- Oh, Katya...
- Please.
I love you.
Sorry I kept you waiting, Sasha.
I was with the KGB.
They just caught someone.
They think it's a primary source.
Who is it?
Too early to disclose.
Has he confessed?
By the time they're finished,
they'll have a confession.
Well, let's hope they don't
have the wrong person then.
We're fighting a war, Sasha.
We have to come out on top.
I don't want my daughter to grow up
with a nuclear threat
or a foreign flag.
I want her to have a happy life.
That's why I do this.
Isn't it why we all do it?
Sasha?
They found someone.
I thought it was you.
I thought it was you.
That's why we have to leave.
It's all right.
- Bread, Mama?
- Thank you.
Would you like some bread?
I'm very proud, my son.
Such a high-level delegation.
To Sasha
To Sasha
Give me your plate, darling.
Please, stay
and talk to Sasha.
- Sit, Mama.
- Thank you.
Who did they catch?
I don't know.
It's best if we don't contact
each other for a while.
Well, whoever they caught, won't the
Americans help get them out?
Katya, if we get caught,
we're on our own.
Nobody escapes.
- Goodbye, my dear.
- See you in a week.
- Thank you for dinner.
- Thank you for coming.
Bye, Sasha.
Take care, my son.
Oh. Thank you.
Are you missing your mother already?
You'll be back in a week.
Bye, Misha.
Ah, bye, my friend.
Hope you have a safe trip.
- Goodbye.
- Bye.
I know that was hard for you.
You're used to this. I'm not.
I'm not going to defect.
Because of your parents?
Because of you.
No.
Sasha.
These contacts who are helping you,
I want to know who they are.
I cannot compromise them.
You know that.
Fine.
But you said you have a safe house.
I want to see
you go there myself.
You can't.
Then I'm not leaving.
If they see you,
it'll ruin everything.
I'll never get out.
Where is it?
Two doors down..
And they have
everything ready?
They're waiting.
Every last detail is set.
Sasha...
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry for all the lies.
You have to go.
You'll miss the plane.
I love you, Katyusha.
I love you, Sasha.
Always remember it.
Do you want to take me
to your show?
Mr. Ardonov?
Misha?
Misha, my friend, how are you?
- There.
- What's this?
I'm a dying man.
I have one last thing to do,
and now I've done it, okay?
I remind you of her, don't I?
Look at me.
You're dying.
You just said so yourself.
So why not just clear your conscience?
Sasha, I have something
to tell you.
Where have you been?
I was looking
for you at home.
I can't go home.
Sasha's defected,
or he's about to.
And he just left you here?
I told him I had a plan
- to meet him in America.
- What plan?
I pretended there was a safe house.
And he believed it?
Yes.
So I suppose I'm the plan now,
is that it?
You made me start this again, Misha.
Are you going to help me or not?
Please.
We should go.
Quickly.
For Sasha. In case anything
happens to me.
He made it out.
Now the KGB want him back.
It was me they caught, Katya.
What?
You can do what I'm doing.
It's not so bad when you don't
think about it.
The KGB? How could you?
And after all
we've believed in?
You really want to be
convinced the same way?
Now, I tried to keep you
out of this.
I even told them I was the one spying on Sasha.
Why did you come to me for help?
Because I trusted you.
I have no choice.
You have to come with me.
- If they get me, Sasha will come back.
- Stop.
- I know he will. And if he comes back, they'll...
- Stop!
Is he really all
that you care about?
Hey! Hey!
Stop! Stop! Stop!
Stop her!
Katya! Katya!
Katya!
How could you do that?
No, stop. Uncle Alex.
What kind of man are you?
Alex, we need to go.
My darling Sasha.
If you read this,
I will not be with you.
And you will wonder if
we did the right thing.
We did.
More than anything, I want the chance
to just live with you,
without fear and anger,
and only with love.
I love you so much
and live to be with you again.
But if we don't meet again,
I rely on you to live
the life we dreamed of on our behalf.
Yours eternally,
Katya.