20,000 Leagues Across the Land ( or "Léon Garros Is Looking for His Friend", ) is a 1961 Soviet-French

feature film A feature film or feature-length film (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film (Film, motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole present ...

Marcello Pagliero Marcello Pagliero (15 January 1907 – 18 October 1980) was an Italian film director, actor, and screenwriter. Pagliero was born in London and died in Paris. He is perhaps best known for his performance in the Roberto Rossellini film ''Rome, ...

Plot

During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Frenchman Leon Garros and Boris Vaganov escape from a

Nazi concentration camp From 1933 to 1945, Nazi Germany operated more than a thousand concentration camps (), including subcamp (SS), subcamps on its own territory and in parts of German-occupied Europe. The first camps were established in March 1933 immediately af ...

. After 15 years, Leon who has become a journalist, comes to the Soviet Union with his friends to make a report and accidentally finds Boris. Boris is not in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

, and for the sake of meeting a friend Leon has to take a car halfway across the country. Traveling with the foreigners is translator Nikolai, who in turn is looking for Natasha, his brother's runaway bride.

Actors

Léon Zitrone Léon Zitrone (25 November 1914 – 25 November 1995) was a Russian-born French journalist and television presenter. Biography Zitrone was born in Petrograd, Russia. He arrived in France with his family fleeing communism at the age of six. H ...

as Léon Garros, journalist * Yuri Belov as Nikolay Savin, translator *

Tatiana Samoilova Tatiana Yevgenyevna Samoilova (; 4 May 1934 – 4 May 2014) was a Soviet and Russian film actress best known for her lead role in ''The Cranes Are Flying'' (1957). She received a number of awards for the film, including a special mention at the C ...

as Natasha, singer *

Jean Rochefort Jean Raoul Robert Rochefort (; 29 April 1930 – 9 October 2017) was a French actor. He received many accolades during his career, including an Honorary César in 1999. Life and career Rochefort was born on 29 April 1930 in Paris, France, to ...

as Fernand *

Jean Gaven Jean Gaven (16 January 1918 – 5 May 2014) was a French actor. He appeared in more than sixty films between 1945 and 1996. Life and career Born in Saint-Rome-de-Cernon Saint-Rome-de-Cernon (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Ave ...

as Gregoire *

Valentin Zubkov Valentin Ivanovich Zubkov (; 12 May 1923 – 18 January 1979) was a Soviet film actor. He was born in Peschanoye Settlement of Ryazan Province. He finished Armavir Military Aviation School (1941–1943) and served as a pilot at frontlines of the ...

as Alexey Savin, polar aviator and Natasha's groom * Evgeny Burenkov as Boris Vaganov * Lyudmila Marchenko as elevator woman in the hotel "Ukraine" *

Antonina Maksimova Antonina may refer to: Geography * Antonina, Paraná, a municipality in Brazil * Antonina, Bełchatów County, in Łódź Voivodeship, central Poland * Antonina, Pajęczno County, in Łódź Voivodeship, central Poland * Antonina, Poddębice County ...

as chairman of the kolkhoz *

Vladimir Ivashov Vladimir Sergeyevich Ivashov (; 28 August 1939 — 23 March 1995) was a Soviet and Russian actor. Biography He had a film career that spanned over 30 years. He is best known for his role as Pvt. Alyosha Skvortsov in '' Ballad of a Soldier'' wh ...

as Fyodor, a young worker in

Bratsk Bratsk (, ; ) is a Types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Angara, Angara River near the vast Bratsk Reservoir. It had population of . Etymology The name of the city, which is from the same ro ...

Valentina Kutsenko Valentina may refer to: People * Valentina (given name), a female given name (includes a list of people with the name) * Valentina (wrestler), stage name of Elizabeth Miklosi (born 1983), an American professional wrestler * Valentina (Italian ...

as Olga *

Nina Nikitina Nina may refer to: * Nina (name), a feminine given name and surname Acronyms * National Iraqi News Agency, a news service in Iraq *Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, on the campus of Norwegian University of Science and Technology * No incom ...

as mother of Fyodor *

Margarita Zharova A margarita is a cocktail consisting of tequila, triple sec, and lime juice. Some margarita recipes include simple syrup as well and are often served with salt on the rim of the glass. Margaritas can be served either shaken with ice (on the rock ...

as maid *

Alexei Vanin Alexey ( ; ), is a Russian and Bulgarian male given name derived from the Greek ''Aléxios'' (), meaning "Defender", and thus of the same origin as the Latin Alexius. Similar Ukrainian and Belarusian names are romanized as Oleksii (Олек ...

as theatrically * Tamara Yarenko as Claudia, hotel receptionist *

Zinovy Gerdt Zalman Afroimovich Khrapinovich (21 September 191618 November 1996), known by the pseudonym Zinovy Yefimovich Gerdt, was a Soviet and Russian actor. He was awarded the People's Artist of the USSR in 1990. Biography Early life and education Ger ...

as voiceover

External links

Кадры из фильма
* 1961 films 1961 drama films French drama films Soviet drama films Russian drama films Russian-language drama films Films directed by Marcello Pagliero 1961 multilingual films French multilingual films Soviet multilingual films 1960s French films 1960s Soviet films {{1960s-USSR-film-stub