Tender May (2009): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2009, Tender May is a drama film directed by Vladimir Vinogradov. “A pupil of the orphanage creates a pop group that has become a phenomenon of the perestroika era.” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. In 1985, perestroika began in the Soviet Union and the Laskovy May group appeared. At their concerts there were only full houses, from unrequited love for them, suicides were committed. The figure of Mikhail Gorbachev faded in the glory of the creator of "Tender May" - Andrei Razin. An accidental photo taken on the beach, where Andrei Razin, as a child, was captured with the Gorbachev family, turned his fate upside down. It was with the help of this photograph that he became Gorbachev's nephew. He did not say this directly - just hinted, and he was instantly believed. Functionaries of all ranks acted without delay: the doors of television and radio opened before him, the Soviet stage lay at his feet. Razin traveled to all the orphanages of the Soviet Union in search of gifted children for his twin groups.

Who’s in it. Tender May stars Vyacheslav Manucharov as Andrei Razin, Yekaterina Fedulova as Lilia, Maksim Litovchenko as projectionist and Sergey Romanovich as Yura Shatunov, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.0/10, Tender May has proved divisive with audiences. It went on to earn $1.6M at the box office.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Tender May page.

If you liked it. Fans of Tender May tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.