About

A colourful musical fantasy made for television, In the Thirteenth Hour of the Night (also known as 13PM) is something of an outlier in Larisa Shepitko’s body of work. It follows a group of characters from Russian folklore who have been invited over by Baba Yaga to watch TV on New Year’s Eve. Havoc ensues when they summon a hirsute-infant-gnome who manages to get sucked into the world of the TV special they are viewing and they must follow him in to save him.

Coming after the political controversy of her segment in Beginning of an Unknown Era 1967, it has been speculated that this was Shepitko displaying to the Soviet film bodies that she was capable of operating as an artist within the bounds of state censors. Nevertheless, In the Thirteenth Hour of the Night is a vibrant spectacle filled with musical numbers, comedy, and fantastical characters, showcasing the voice of a filmmaker with a unique cinematic vision.