Zerograd, sometimes called Zero City or Zero Town, is a 1989 Russian mystery film directed by Karen Shakhnazarov. Moscow engineer Alexey Varakin visits a small town on a business trip, where his adventures begin. He meets a naked secretary at a local factory, a prosecutor who wants to commit a crime and other strange characters. The film was selected as the Soviet entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 62nd Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.

Plot

The setting of the movie is a nameless town in the Soviet Union, where Alexei Varakin (played by Leonid Filatov), a Soviet engineer, is on a business trip to discuss alterations to small part in a line of air conditioners. Upon arriving at the factory, Alexei encounters confusion as he tries to find the pass he had recently requested. Inside, the manager's secretary is working completely nude, but this seems to be of no concern to the staff. Moreover, the manager (played by Armen Dzhigarkhanyan) is unaware that the chief engineer passed away several months ago. During lunch at a strangely empty restaurant, Alexei is presented with a cake in the shape of his own head, which he politely declines. The cook who made the cake becomes upset and takes his own life.