One sultry summer evening, old acquaintances, the Turk Keraban and the Dutchman Van Mitten, meet on the central square of Constantinople. In the darkness, the friends do not recognize each other and almost fight, not wanting to give way to each other. The conflict is resolved with joyful embraces - Keraban recognizes his friend.

By the will of fate, on this very day the chief of police issues a decree on the tax on the crossing of the Bosphorus. Keraban, a retrograde and stubborn man, refuses to pay and declares that he will get to his estate on the other side of the strait by another route – around the Black Sea. He takes his Dutch friend with him.

However, they do not have much time to travel - in a month the wedding of Akhmet, Keraban's nephew, and Amaziya, the daughter of an Odessa banker, is to take place. Prince Saffar lusts after her. Through his henchman, he hires the bandit Yarhud to kidnap Amaziya and prevent Keraban from returning home.

Keraban and his companions, having survived an encounter with a herd of wild boars, reach Odessa. Along the way, the two friends argue over every possible reason, quarrel, but in the end, the more accommodating Van Mitten always gives in to the stubborn Turk. The travelers arrive at the house of Selim, Amasia's father, without warning and cause a stir there. Here, Keraban meets Ahmet, his nephew, and orders him to go with him. As soon as they leave, bandits burst into the house, kidnap Amasia and mortally wound Selim.

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Screenwriter and director: Efim Berson Genre: adventure, comedy Time: second half of the 19th century Location: Constantinople, the Black Sea coast, Crimea, the Caucasus Duration: 100 min Audience: 16+ Readiness: Fully written script Logline The rich merchant Keraban, who stubbornly refused to pay the duty for crossing the Bosphorus, sets off for the Asian coast of Constantinople around the Black Sea. Along the way, he and his companions enter into a deadly confrontation with the