If I’m Not a Realist (2026): Cast, Story and Release Details

Prepared by Movies Dock Editorial

If I’m Not a Realist is a 55-minute Russian documentary about Sergei, a Siberian artist facing a creative and personal crisis. When his daughter arrives with a camera, their renewed connection creates an opening for both of them to confront difficult circumstances and look toward a possible way forward.

If I’m Not a Realist is a 2026 Russian documentary written and directed by Anna Sokolkova. The film centers on Sergei, an artist from Siberia whose creative and personal difficulties have led him to withdraw into his studio.

His daughter’s arrival with a camera changes that isolation. Rather than keeping her at a distance, Sergei allows her closer, creating the basis for a personal story about family, artistic struggle and the possibility of moving forward.

If I’m Not a Realist movie details

Story without spoilers

Sergei is dealing with debts, family problems and a creative crisis, and his studio has become a place to hide from all three. His daughter, however, arrives with a camera and a desire to connect with him.

As father and daughter grow unexpectedly closer, they begin searching for a way through the circumstances surrounding them. The film’s documentary premise is rooted in their relationship and Sergei’s willingness to let someone into a part of his life he has tried to shut away.

What to expect

As a documentary with a 55-minute runtime, If I’m Not a Realist offers a focused account rather than a broad fictional narrative. Its subject matter combines an artist’s personal and creative crisis with a family connection that gradually becomes more open.

The premise points to an intimate, character-centered film shaped around Sergei’s experience and his daughter’s camera. The story is presented in Russian and set within a Russian context, with Siberia forming an important part of Sergei’s background.

Cast and creative team

Sergey Sokolkov appears as himself as Sergei, the Siberian artist at the center of the documentary. Anna Sokolkova serves as both director and writer, giving the film a unified creative direction behind and in front of its central story.

• Sergey Sokolkov as self

Release and production context

If I’m Not a Realist is a 2026 documentary from Russia, spoken in Russian. It has a runtime of 55 minutes and is listed with a release date of October 17, 2026. The film is directed and written by Anna Sokolkova, with Sergey Sokolkov credited as himself.

Movies Dock view

With its compact runtime and closely personal premise, If I’m Not a Realist focuses on the relationship between an artist in crisis and the daughter trying to reach him. Its documentary framework places family connection and the search for a way forward at the heart of the film.

Film data:
TMDB