 Inspired by true events, FREEDOM IS PARADISE is the harrowing tale of a fiercely independent boy and his quest for the father he has never known. The first Russian motion picture ever filmed in actual Soviet prisons and reformatories, FREEDOM IS PARADISE combines a gritty documentary style with poetic lyricism. A riveting journey through the dark underside of the Soviet working class and institutional life, FREEDOM IS PARADISE captures a boy s fierce capacity to dream amidst the boldfaced cruelty of circumstance. This Grand Prize winner at the 1989 Montreal Film Festival addresses, with quiet eloquence, the sad irony of children dwelling on the margin.