The DAU project has been accused of exploitation. It is rumored that during the filming of boundary violations occurred that would shut down a Western production. Whether you believe the art justifies the means or rejects the project entirely, the film remains an unshakeable artifact.

is a provocative feature film from the sprawling, multi-platform cinematic experiment known as the DAU project . Directed by Ilya Khrzhanovskiy and Jekaterina Oertel , the film serves as a character-driven entry into a series that blurs the lines between reality and historical simulation.

[Katya's Romantic Disillusionment] │ ▼ [Intimate Bond with Tanya (Safe Haven)] │ ▼ [First Department / KGB Intervention] │ ▼ [Totalitarian Erasure of Identity] The DAU Production Methodology

"Preach, Katya! DAU is the lifeblood of any product or app. It tells us how many users are coming back for more every single day."

The film centers on , a young librarian whose idealistic views on love are repeatedly crushed by the harsh realities of Soviet life.

Ultimately, DAU. Katya Tanya is the DAU project in microcosm: brilliant, repulsive, and impossible to ignore. It will make you angry. It should. But if art’s purpose is to provoke a reaction, to make you question the contract between viewer and screen, then this film succeeds. The real question is whether the price of that ticket—paid by Katya, Tanya, and your own conscience—is one you are willing to accept.

The prolonged isolation had a profound impact on Katya and Tanya's mental health and well-being. As the months passed, they began to experience vivid hallucinations, hearing voices, and exhibiting symptoms of paranoia. Their behavior became increasingly erratic, with episodes of aggression, depression, and euphoria.