The 40th Door

In an ancient Azerbaijani fairy tale, the hero drives the monster out of the castle with 40 rooms and he rescues the beautiful princess. But he cannot open the 40th door. It remains a mystery. Fourteen-year-old Rustam lives with his mother in the country near the capital Baku in a village called "The 40th Door". His father works in faraway Moscow to offer his family a carefree life. But one phone call changes the life of the small family all of a sudden. The father was murdered, probably by the Russian mafia. The mother tries to find work, but in vain. Her last hope is her brother Rasim. But she does not know where to reach him. Whenever he calls, the neighbour’s phone does not work properly. Rustam decides to go to Baku. The dubious, smart and elegant Edik from the village is to help him find work. It soon becomes evident that Edik earns his money by trickery. Rustam, however, does not want it that way. So he tries to find his own way. Every day he plays truant and travels to the town 40 kilometers away to wash cars. When his mother learns about this she is furious. She wants Rustam to go to school. And she does not take his money either. Nevertheless, the boy still travels to Baku.