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Temporary Difficulties

Name: Temporary Difficulties
Director: Mikhail Raskhodnikov
Released: 2018
Duration: 83 min

Representation Score

7.7/10

Good

2018

Director

Mikhail Raskhodnikov

Runtime

83 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The film excels in its nuanced portrayal of living with a congenital disorder, moving beyond clichés to explore how it shapes a character's worldview and professional success. It offers a sharp critique of traditional patriarchal structures by highlighting the father's rigid discipline as a source of trauma. However, the narrative lacks visible queer presence and provides no specific details regarding racial or ethnic diversity. The focus remains tightly centered on the protagonist's personal struggle and his specific social environment. Ultimately, the work achieves a progressive impact through its nuanced portrayal of the protagonist's control over his life and professional growth.

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Category Breakdown

Does Temporary Difficulties have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film does not include any explicit mention of LGBTQ+ characters or non-straight relationships within the main storyline. The focus is on familial conflict and physical disability.

How does Temporary Difficulties portray gender?

Fair

The film challenges traditional gender roles by showing the protagonist move from forced compliance to professional autonomy. Sasha gains control over his life and disrupts the traditional hierarchy.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Temporary Difficulties?

Fair

There is no explicit evidence of diverse casting or the use of non-Anglo-Saxon archetypes. The film focuses on a localized social reality.

How does Temporary Difficulties represent religion and culture?

Good

The story criticizes traditional, authoritarian parenting models and prioritizes individual empowerment and psychological well-being. It questions the rigid adherence to traditional family roles.

Does Temporary Difficulties include disability representation?

Excellent

The film centers on the lived experience of a congenital disorder without treating it as inspiration porn. Sasha's disability is a key part of his resilience and professional philosophy.

Present on Screen

Offers a nuanced, non-exploitative portrayal of living with a congenital disorder.
Critiques traditional patriarchal authority and rigid parenting models effectively.
Empowers the protagonist by centering his control over his life and professional development.

Limited or Absent

Lacks explicit representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-straight relationships.
Provides no visible evidence of racial or ethnic diversity within the cast.
The narrative focus is narrow, limiting broader social or cultural diversity.

Official Synopsis

Sasha Korolev has a congenital disorder. The boy’s father has chosen what seemed to him the only correct way to put the son on his feet: to treat him like a healthy person. “You’re not a patient, you have temporary difficulties”. Eating, getting dressed, going downstairs and walking up the front door steps — every day the child spends hours on such simple household tasks. At school he is mocked by his peers, and there is no help to expect. The boy has coped with the illness, but started hating the father. When he finished school, Sasha left home and stopped all contact with the father. Over the past 15 years he has become the best business consultant in the country, who has helped hundreds of businesses out of crisis. “You have no a crisis, you have temporary difficulties”, — Sasha would say to his clients, having gone along a difficult path himself. And one day, a new order unexpectedly gives him the opportunity to settle accounts with the father...

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