Papers, Please – The Short Film (2018) is the official short film adaptation of Papers, Please. It was released online on February 24, 2018, and is available on YouTube. The 11-minute film portrays the workday of an inspector at the Grestin border checkpoint. Lucas Pope endorsed the film on Twitter,[1][2] and it is called an official adaptation.[3]
The film is directed by Nikita Ordynskiy (Russian: Никита Ордынский) and written by Nikita Ordynskiy, Liliya Tkach, and Lucas Pope.
Synopsis[]
The checkpoint area in the film.
The opening text explains that the events take place in 1982 in East Grestin in Arstotzka, after the six-year war, just like the original game.
The film opens with the inspector walking to the booth. He prepares for the day by pulling out stamps and the rulebook, and places a family photo in front of him. Before he calls the first entrant, Sergiu informs him that a person called Elisa will come today.
The first entrant is a man called Mariusz Kwasek from the United Federation with an expired work pass. The inspector denies his entry despite the man pleading for access.
A montage of various entrants follows. It ends in the arrival of Elisa Katsenja who is missing an access permit (but called entry permit in the English subtitles). She begs the inspector to let her through. As the inspector is contemplating, a message prints out saying that a quota for Kolechians has been reached for today. The inspector then denies her entry. Elisa gives the inspector a locket and leaves. The inspector places the locket next to the family photo, ponders his actions for a moment, and calls in the next entrant.
Another montage begins, featuring foreign passports, including that of Cobrastan. Jorji Costava is also seen in the booth with Sergiu and another guard. The montage ends in the arrival of Isaac Robinsky, an Obri man who claims he is coming to Arstotzka to visit his sister whom he has not seen for three years. He is followed by his wife, Ivana, whose last name is Robinsky in her passport but Robynsky in her access permit (around 7:20, both her passport and the access permit are shown and both names are spelled correctly but her purpose of visit is work). She complains how her last name is often misspelled in official documents and begs the inspector to let her through. The inspector hesitates, and after catching a glance of Elisa's locket allows Ivana entry.
During the inspection of the next entrant, an explosion occurs outside the booth on the Arstotzkan side. The inspector is knocked out, and a man outside yells, "For Kolechia!" As an alarm blares, the inspector takes a pistol and walks out. Pieces of burnt fabric similar to what Ivana Robinsky wore earlier are on the ground, implying that she blew herself up. Her husband is pointing a gun at Sergiu who is lying on the ground. He shoots Sergiu and points the gun at the inspector. The screen cuts to black as a gunshot sounds. Another "For Kolechia!" is heard, and the end credits start.
Cast[]
Igor Savochkin as an inspector.
Actors' names point to IMDB.
- Igor Savochkin † as the inspector
- Evgeniy Tokarev as Sergiu
- Antonina Kravtsova as Elisa
- Mikhail Panyukov as Isaac Robinsky
- Victoria Tsygankova as Ivana Robinsky
Trivia[]
Jorji's forged access permit in the film.
- In addition to the setting, familiar props, and the characters, the film contains several small nods to things from the original game.
- As per the stamps shown in the film, the events take place on November 23, 1982. This would be day 1 in the game, but otherwise the events of the film more closely resemble day 26.
- Elisa Katsenja is registered in Vedor, 56/2, Kordon Kallo Str.
- Isaac Robinsky is registered in Mergerous, Costava Str.
- Jorji's access permit contains typographical errors similar to the fake passport used in the game. In the film, his access permit lists his physical appearance as good look, blue yeis, and wery toll. It also says he is registered on Best Str. in Bestburg and his civil status is sinle (though in the game, he mentions his wife[4]).
- The Robinskys enter the same way as the Antegrian husband and wife in the game (the latter do not commit any attacks, though).
- The entrant who enters the booth after the Robinskys leave and instigate the explosion is played by the director of the film.[5]
References[]
- ↑ https://twitter.com/dukope/status/967451644270014465
- ↑ https://twitter.com/dukope/status/876972886723919872
- ↑ Description on YouTube
- ↑ If interrogated on day 19, Jorji calls his wife a "very bad cook."
- ↑ https://twitter.com/dukope/status/968731261169754112