Comrade Chkalov Crosses the North Pole is a 1990 Soviet short comedy film directed by Maksim Pezhemsky. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival.

Plot

Aviators Chkalov, Baidukov, and navigator Belyakov undertake a journey across the North Pole on foot, in a surreal retelling of the historic 1937 flight. Upon reaching the Pole, Chkalov plants the Soviet flag on the Earth's axis, causing the planet to reverse its rotation. The crew then traverses the Arctic and, in the film's conclusion, bonds with Black Canadian street sweepers. Together, they watch black fireworks against the bright sky and listen to a speech by Valery Chkalov from the 1941 film Valery Chkalov.

Cast