The footage for the documentary about Sergey Dovlatov was shot between 1991 and 1993, the years immediately following his death. The people chosen to speak about Dovlatov each have their unique perspective, as they are those who knew him best. They include the following:
his father, actor, director, and writer Donat Mechik;
his sister, Ksana Blank, philologist and professor at Princeton University;
his wife, Elena Dovlatova;
his friends, Peter Vail, Aleksandr Genis, and Andrej Aryev, journalists and writers; and his publisher, Grigoriy Polyak.
Some analyze the cultural phenomenon of Dovlatov and others describe his peculiar character, while others recount incidents from Sergey's personal life. There is one point on which everyone agrees: in America, Sergey finally became happy.