The film portraits a complicated journey thru life, love and hate of a homosexual in Russia.  Before an important audition, the opera teacher recommends sleep, walks and Schubert. Feeling lost, desperate and rebellious, Erik does the exact opposite (except for the Schubert bit), spending his nights with a disillusioned older colleague and excessive amounts of vodka. Erik has a boyfriend but a chance encounter with the semi-criminal Lyokha awakens passion of a whole new caliber in him.