[1] Made as a parody of the Soviet movie industry, this nearly-silent pantomime tells a story of a film crew that faces various problems during the filmmaking process, from writing a screenplay, to pre-production (which includes dealing with bureaucratic officials), to the actual shooting of the movie.
In a fit of desperation, he prepares to commit suicide (implied by his cigarette smoke forming a noose), but a winged Muse descends to him.
The director and crew encounter numerous difficulties: the necessary props are absent, the weather is bad, the child actor is disobedient, and the production repeatedly runs over budget.
At the premiere, after a tense wait where the director walks up the walls and screenwriter contemplates suicide again, the entire film crew, hearing applause from the audience, weeps with happiness.
The movie begins and ends with a song: "So many jobs that call, // but film is best of all.