Inthebleakfilmscapeofglasnost,TheNeedlestoodoutasablacksheepofamovieThemostplayfulandoffbeatoftheSovietfilmsoftheperiod,itcontrastedsharplytothemainstream,whichwasoverwhelmedwithrevisionismoftheStalinistpastandnihilisticsocialcriticismMadein1988byayoungKazakhdirector,RashidNugmanov,freshoutofVGIKthenationalfilmschool,TheNeedlewasapioneeringeffortinseveralwaysHavingcomefromaremote,stagnantrepublicofKazakhstan,thepicturesetoffamovementthathascometobeknownasthe"KazakhNewWave"RepresentedbysuchworksasAlexanderBaranov'sandBakhytKilibayev'sTheThree1988andWomanoftheDay1990;Kilibayev'sTheTick1990;Baranov'sHeandShe1990;AbaiKarpykov'sLittleFishinLove1989;andSerikAprymov'sTheLastStop1989,theKazakhNewWavewasfortheagonizingSovietfilmofthelate1980swhattheFrenchNewWavewasforthedustyFrenchfilmofthelate1950sTheNeedlewasthemovement'saboutdesouffleThefilmalsobecameamodelfortheRussianversionofpostmodernism—uninhibitedanduninformed,compensatingforthelackofculture,skill,andresourceswithmischiefandwitAyoungmannamedMoroplayedbyViktorTsoi,thelaterock'n'rolllegendfromtheStPetersburgband"Kino"returnstohisAsiatichometownonlytofindhisexgirlfriend,DinaMarinaSmirnova,becomingadrugaddictandhimselfbecominginvolvedinthebizarrelifeofthecity'sunderworldInanattempttosaveDina,MorotakesherawaytotheAralSea,turnedintoabarrendesertbythetimetheyarriveThereDinaseemscured,butbackintowneverythingstartsanewAlmostdesperate,Morodecidestofightthedrugdealers,ledbyahospitaldoctorplayedbyanotherrock'n'rollstar,eccentricleaderofthe"SoundofMu"bandandthefuturestarofTaxiBlues,PyotrMamonov,whenoneofthemstabshiminadesertedpark