
The Beginning
A talented girl from the provincial Russian town Pasha Stroganova dreams of becoming an actress. She plays the role of Baba Yaga in the amateur theatre — and does it so organically that the visiting filmmaker offers her the most difficult role in the historical drama about Joan of Arc. She was given not only great acting talent, but the talent of deep, selfless love. A dream comes true: she is invited to the main role, and she begins a completely different life, full of real creative torment, insights and true happiness.
Cast

Leonid Kuravlyov
Arkadiy

Mikhail Kononov
Pavlik

Tatyana Bedova
Toma

Yuri Vizbor
Stepan Ivanovich

Vsevolod Sobolev
Massieu

Lyudmila Arinina
an official on the selection of actors at the film studio (uncredited)

Inna Churikova
Pasha Stroganova

Yevgeni Lebedev
Cauchon

Irina Gubanova
assistant director (uncredited)

Yuri Klepikov
movie director

Gennadi Beglov
Odinokov

Dmitriy Dolinin
Director of photography

Valentina Telichkina
Valya

Efim Kopelyan
Cauchon (voice) (uncredited)

Kirill Laskari