In Russia’s most secretive region, there are many mysteries. Abandoned buildings and an empty landscape hold memories of a strange object built under Stalin’s order. Since then, odd things started happening. Locals found a weird creature called “The Alien from the Urals,” now having its own monument. But, what’s the secret of this creature? Why are people scared to talk about it? And why are villages disappearing? The film aims to uncover these mysteries.

Original title: Object 817
Director: Olga Lucovnicova
Cinematography: Artur Sokolov, Olga Lucovnicova, Victor Zavyalov, Vadim Vorontzoy
Production: Annabel Verbeke, Frederik Nicolai
Music: Matthias Dewilde
Editor: Olga Lucovnicova, Jan de Coster
Script: Olga Lucovnicova
Others: Sound: Gedeon Depauw, Theo Meewis, Joren Gorge
Dialogue: Russian
Licensed territory: Worldwide except Belgium

2024
Sundance Film Festival
Go Short
Uppsala Short Film Festival
Zagreb Dox
Thessaloniki Int Film Festival
Make Believe Seattle
Indie Shortfilm Festival
Busan Int. Shortfilm Festival
Big Apple Film Festival and Screenplay Competition
Two Riversides Film and Art Festival
Dox Dc
Moldox, Eastern Neighbours IFF
Interaction: Short Docs Festival
Cut To: Ghent, Denver Film Festival
Zinebi, Beijing International Short Film Festival
Festival Film Dokumenter; Schnit Worldwide Shortfilmfestival
Leuven Int. Short Film Festival

2025
Festival Mutoscope
Ismailia International Film Festival

2024
Best Film- documentary, Leuven Int. Short Film Festival