Moscow-Cassiopeia

Moscow — Cassiopeia (1974) is a Soviet sci-fi comedy you can watch online on iFILM, directed by Richard Viktorov. Schoolboy Vitya Sereda is his class's authority on hard science, and his project for a starship named Zarya turns out to be real enough for someone to fund. A mysterious official recruits six children under 14 for the crew — because the flight to the Cassiopeia constellation and back will consume more than fifty years of ship time.

On Earth, centuries will pass while the kids are in transit. Adults are useless — the journey would outlive them. Then, moments before launch, a seventh crew member is found: Fedya Lobanov, the school troublemaker, who smuggled himself aboard with a homemade super-glue. The film stars Innokenty Smoktunovsky, Lev Durov, Vasily Merkuryev, and Natalya Fateyeva.

Viktorov treated his young audience as intelligent viewers — no dumbing down. The result holds up for adults who want Soviet-era science fiction done with real craft. Watch Moscow — Cassiopeia (1974) online on iFILM.